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 $335 in Kota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $536 in Kota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $738 in Kota.

Living in Phuket is roughly 268% more expensive than in Kota, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Kota 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.14 ₹205

106.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$7.99 ₹767

303.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$2.68 ₹257

233.21%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$0.65 ₹62.0

346.15%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.35 ₹34.04

151.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.17 ₹16.70

182.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.56 ₹149

50.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.20 ₹307

16.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.59 ₹56.6

216.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.41 ₹38.98

258.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.64 ₹61.3

142.19%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.82 ₹79.1

156.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$4.31 ₹414

354.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.67 ₹256

28.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.52 ₹146

96.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.51 ₹49.25

229.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.67 ₹64.7

229.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.44 ₹41.81

390.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.31 ₹30.11

390.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.40 ₹38.65

235.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.32 ₹31.14

253.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.28 ₹26.46

96.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.24 ₹406

0.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.68 ₹737

148.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.49 ₹143

19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.93 ₹185

44.04%

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

$4.74 ₹455

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.54 ₹51.7

312.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$25.99 ₹2,493

-12.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.30 ₹28.63

910.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.22 ₹21.15

363.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.02 ₹98.2

281.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.10 ₹105

35.45%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$15.7K ₹1.5M

69.69%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$17.2K ₹1.7M

56.70%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$13.16 ₹1,262

678.65%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$2.49 ₹239

355.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$6.27 ₹602

177.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$10.34 ₹992

403.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$4.11 ₹394

169.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.05 ₹292

152.13%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$33.94 ₹3,256

1551.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$648 ₹62.1K

1676.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$22.08 ₹2,119

185.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$32.79 ₹3,146

-9.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$34.83 ₹3,341

181.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$21.02 ₹2,017

321.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$143 ₹13.7K

416.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$79.0 ₹7,578

510.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$269 ₹25.9K

681.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$171 ₹16.4K

617.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$556 ₹53.3K

550.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$333 ₹31.9K

682.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$417 ₹40.0K

18.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.5

-25.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Kota: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $143 in Kota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 18% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $8.00 in Kota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $91.0 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 268% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $335 including rent). Kota is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $143 in Kota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 202% 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 $8.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $335 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 268% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.