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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $366 in Kota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $582 in Kota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $798 in Kota.

Living in Phuket is roughly 244% more expensive than Kota, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kota 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.39 ₹228

90.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$8.97 ₹853

419.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$2.97 ₹283

185.19%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$0.75 ₹71.4

304.00%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.37 ₹35.09

86.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.14 ₹13.75

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.71 ₹162

45.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.11 ₹296

17.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.63 ₹60.0

246.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.43 ₹41.16

341.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.75 ₹71.5

193.33%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$0.90 ₹86.0

146.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$4.89 ₹465

308.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.70 ₹257

35.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.77 ₹168

82.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.56 ₹53.1

203.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.74 ₹70.2

222.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.46 ₹43.72

352.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.31 ₹29.01

412.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.46 ₹43.64

221.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.36 ₹34.67

186.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.34 ₹32.03

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.90 ₹371

8.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$7.70 ₹732

144.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.73 ₹165

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.74 ₹356

-26.20%

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

$4.35 ₹414

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.60 ₹57.1

126.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$8.95 ₹851

26.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.37 ₹34.85

748.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.24 ₹22.93

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.43 ₹136

862.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.20 ₹114

11.67%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

134.64%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$16.6K ₹1.6M

104.59%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$30.71 ₹2,920

302.44%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$2.92 ₹278

363.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$7.16 ₹681

161.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$10.68 ₹1,015

478.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$2.32 ₹221

643.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.56 ₹338

156.74%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$37.40 ₹3,557

1778.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$728 ₹69.2K

2081.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$20.81 ₹1,979

185.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$27.68 ₹2,632

26.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$51.2 ₹4,866

125.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$25.41 ₹2,416

230.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$159 ₹15.2K

287.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$90.0 ₹8,558

380.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$307 ₹29.2K

571.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$187 ₹17.7K

710.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$562 ₹53.5K

548.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$334 ₹31.8K

685.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$423 ₹40.3K

19.76%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kota: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $159 in Kota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% 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 $293 vs $102 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 244% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $366 including rent). Kota is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 20% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $159 in Kota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 188% 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 $366 in Kota versus $1,261 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 244% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.