Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Malda Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Malda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $544 in Malda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $684 in Malda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $824 in Malda.

Living in Phuket is roughly 126% more expensive than Malda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Malda 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.26 ₹309

42.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$11.62 ₹1,103

303.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.52 ₹334

151.14%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.79 ₹170

67.60%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.40 ₹38.23

85.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.15 ₹14.12

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.72 ₹163

41.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.88 ₹273

25.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.63 ₹59.5

258.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.43 ₹40.75

327.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.49 ₹46.59

357.14%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$0.80 ₹76.4

190.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.41 ₹514

263.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.53 ₹240

44.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.51 ₹238

35.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.79 ₹75.3

107.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.28 ₹121

88.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.65 ₹61.6

212.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.28 ₹26.35

457.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.33 ₹31.73

354.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.42 ₹39.47

142.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.17 ₹16.31

188.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.86 ₹367

15.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.81 ₹931

92.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.68 ₹160

5.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.48 ₹236

10.89%

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

$2.50 ₹238

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.30 ₹28.53

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$8.64 ₹820

32.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.55 ₹52.4

467.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.28 ₹26.29

257.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.08 ₹197

577.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.24 ₹118

8.87%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$15.9K ₹1.5M

70.72%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.9K ₹2.2M

43.65%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$41.19 ₹3,911

203.42%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.85 ₹365

252.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$5.78 ₹549

220.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$16.15 ₹1,533

280.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$6.99 ₹664

140.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.02 ₹382

128.61%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$43.03 ₹4,085

1522.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,600 ₹151.9K

874.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$8.06 ₹765

616.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$8.03 ₹762

338.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$48.87 ₹4,640

131.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$9.14 ₹868

845.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$289 ₹27.5K

112.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$231 ₹21.9K

93.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$411 ₹39.0K

398.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$182 ₹17.3K

720.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$378 ₹35.9K

38.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.9

-46.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Malda: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $289 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 39% 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 $12.00 in Malda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $109 per month, with Malda 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 Malda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malda is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 39% 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 $289 in Malda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 169% 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 $12.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $544 in Malda versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 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.

For families, Malda is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Malda 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 Malda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.