Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Malda

For one person, living is cheaper in Malda: $430 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Malda
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Malda Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Malda

🇮🇳 India

$430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Malda

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Malda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $430 in Malda.

Phuket $1,278
Malda $430

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $616 in Malda.

Phuket $2,216
Malda $616

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $801 in Malda.

Phuket $3,154
Malda $801

Living in Phuket is roughly 197% more expensive than in Malda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Malda 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.02 ₹97.1

338.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$13.82 ₹1,313

134.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.26 ₹404

106.81%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.73 ₹165

63.58%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.48 ₹45.78

81.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.12 ₹11.85

308.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.87 ₹177

36.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.11 ₹295

18.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.61 ₹58.2

172.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.49 ₹46.75

197.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.51 ₹48.33

194.12%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$0.78 ₹74.4

167.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.50 ₹522

246.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.27 ₹216

45.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.42 ₹230

21.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.80 ₹76.2

111.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.38 ₹131

63.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.54 ₹51.6

285.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.22 ₹20.93

586.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.41 ₹38.65

236.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.32 ₹30.23

234.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.15 ₹14.56

246.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.94 ₹469

-14.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.69 ₹1,015

75.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.79 ₹170

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.74 ₹260

3.65%

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

$2.18 ₹207

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.25 ₹23.54

480.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$7.70 ₹731

635.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.81 ₹77.3

272.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.31 ₹29.01

229.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.56 ₹148

136.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.16 ₹110

26.72%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$12.4K ₹1.2M

115.97%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$22.5K ₹2.1M

18.75%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$52.8 ₹5,009

82.62%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$3.08 ₹293

265.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$4.33 ₹411

289.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$14.33 ₹1,360

369.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$6.68 ₹635

60.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.08 ₹292

143.51%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$42.88 ₹4,071

1009.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$1,982 ₹188.2K

468.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$5.39 ₹512

1056.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$26.28 ₹2,495

8.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$36.72 ₹3,486

156.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$29.01 ₹2,754

195.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$163 ₹15.5K

338.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$125 ₹11.8K

293.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$276 ₹26.2K

598.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$156 ₹14.8K

817.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$967 ₹91.8K

331.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$524 ₹49.8K

480.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.08

-38.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Malda: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Malda

$125 29% 74.6% $366

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Malda

$110 25.5% 58.8% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Malda

$60 14% 51.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Malda

$44 10.2% 64% $78

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Malda

$60 13.9% 50.9% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Malda

$20 4.8% 75.1% $62

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Malda

$11 2.6% 84.4% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $163 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $14 in Malda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $110 per month, with Malda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Malda

🕒 Local time

08:45 8:45 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

324,237

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Malda 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Malda

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Malda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malda is about 66% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $644 in Malda to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $163 in Malda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 143% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malda – a meal for two runs $14 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $430 in Malda versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Malda but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Malda 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.

Expats usually find Malda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.