Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kota Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kota

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $376 in Kota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $587 in Kota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $798 in Kota.

Living in Phuket is roughly 228% more expensive than Kota, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Kota 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.38 ₹226

94.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$8.59 ₹815

445.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$2.89 ₹275

205.88%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$0.71 ₹67.6

322.54%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.37 ₹34.81

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.19 ₹18.45

94.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.71 ₹163

42.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.13 ₹298

15.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.62 ₹58.9

264.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.46 ₹43.88

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.81 ₹76.9

176.54%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$0.95 ₹90.4

144.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.04 ₹478

290.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.73 ₹259

33.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.71 ₹163

98.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.52 ₹49.01

215.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.79 ₹74.7

205.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.45 ₹42.40

351.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.34 ₹31.88

358.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.45 ₹42.93

233.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.33 ₹31.73

209.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.37 ₹34.82

32.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.93 ₹373

13.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.87 ₹747

139.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.73 ₹164

2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.73 ₹354

-26.27%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.22 ₹400

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.56 ₹53.4

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$8.96 ₹850

28.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.36 ₹34.29

766.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.24 ₹22.80

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$1.48 ₹141

852.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.18 ₹112

14.41%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$11.6K ₹1.1M

135.29%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.5K ₹1.6M

99.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$125 ฿4,087

$30.43 ₹2,889

310.71%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.57 ฿444

$2.92 ₹277

364.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$7.46 ₹708

148.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$10.46 ₹993

487.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$2.39 ₹227

604.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.55 ₹337

158.87%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$698 ฿22.8K

$37.49 ₹3,560

1762.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$716 ₹68.0K

2077.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$21.53 ₹2,044

168.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$26.89 ₹2,553

31.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$50.7 ₹4,816

123.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$24.79 ₹2,353

248.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$162 ₹15.3K

280.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$90.2 ₹8,562

394.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$304 ₹28.9K

573.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$190 ₹18.1K

684.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$561 ₹53.3K

573.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$338 ₹32.1K

683.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$423 ₹40.2K

23.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.5

-28.93%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kota: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $162 in Kota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Kota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $103 per month, with Kota cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Kota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Kota differ by about 228% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $376 including rent). Kota is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 24% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $162 in Kota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 183% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kota – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $376 in Kota versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kota but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kota are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 228% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.