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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $376 in Kota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $587 in Kota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $797 in Kota.

Living in Phuket is roughly 237% more expensive than in Kota, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Kota 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.27 ₹216

97.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,522

$8.79 ₹838

418.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$2.86 ₹273

206.29%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$0.73 ₹69.5

306.85%

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

$0.69 ฿22.92

$0.39 ₹37.53

76.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.19 ₹18.14

105.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$1.70 ₹162

48.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.26 ₹311

15.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.63 ₹60.1

241.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.47 ₹44.66

287.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$0.76 ₹72.4

186.84%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$0.95 ₹90.7

136.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$4.85 ₹463

312.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.68 ₹255

35.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.75 ₹167

85.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.53 ₹50.3

209.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$0.79 ₹75.0

194.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$0.49 ₹46.59

322.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.31 ₹29.28

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.58

$0.45 ₹43.38

224.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.88

$0.34 ₹32.25

188.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$0.33 ₹31.75

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.99 ₹381

9.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.61 ₹726

144.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$1.65 ₹157

12.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$3.60 ₹344

-26.39%

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

$4.41 ₹421

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.32

$0.60 ₹57.0

136.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$8.77 ₹837

31.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.36 ₹34.73

780.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.45

$0.22 ₹20.93

368.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$1.44 ₹137

864.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.88

$1.24 ₹119

8.06%

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

$27.8K ฿927.9K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

142.97%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$16.6K ₹1.6M

101.36%

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

$123 ฿4,109

$30.78 ₹2,936

299.77%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$2.80 ₹267

391.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$7.49 ₹715

144.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,026

$10.68 ₹1,019

468.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$2.27 ₹217

655.95%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.58 ₹342

147.77%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$37.41 ₹3,568

1738.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.9K

$721 ₹68.8K

2088.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,980

$20.84 ₹1,987

184.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,158

$26.77 ₹2,554

29.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,846

$50.7 ₹4,839

127.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,797

$24.98 ₹2,382

235.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$161 ₹15.4K

285.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$87.7 ₹8,365

408.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$309 ₹29.4K

559.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$189 ₹18.0K

691.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$564 ₹53.8K

512.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$336 ₹32.0K

653.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$433 ₹41.3K

13.90%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kota: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $161 in Kota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 14% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Kota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $101 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 237% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $376 including rent). Kota is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Phuket, 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: $621 in Phuket versus $161 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $376 in Kota versus $1,264 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 237% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.