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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $525 in Malda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $679 in Malda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $834 in Malda.

Living in Phuket is roughly 133% more expensive than Malda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Malda 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$3.14 ₹297

43.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$11.60 ₹1,097

301.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$3.58 ₹339

137.15%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.84 ₹174

67.39%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.37 ₹35.24

83.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.15 ₹14.18

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.69 ₹160

43.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.89 ₹273

25.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$0.59 ₹55.7

271.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.39 ₹37.12

364.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.53 ₹50.1

320.75%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$0.78 ₹73.6

187.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$5.54 ₹524

253.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$2.50 ₹236

48.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.45 ₹232

37.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$0.80 ₹75.6

102.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.31 ₹124

83.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$0.66 ₹62.5

201.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.30 ₹28.66

410.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.31 ₹29.12

367.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.45 ₹42.32

124.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.18 ₹17.21

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.88 ₹367

10.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$8.65 ₹818

121.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.68 ₹159

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.49 ₹236

10.04%

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

$2.39 ₹226

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.28 ₹26.31

407.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$8.88 ₹840

31.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.61 ₹57.5

391.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.30 ₹28.44

250.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$2.01 ₹190

591.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.24 ₹118

4.03%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$15.4K ₹1.5M

81.49%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$22.7K ₹2.1M

47.78%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$41.23 ₹3,900

195.85%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$3.84 ₹364

262.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$5.95 ₹563

217.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$16.09 ₹1,522

280.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$6.93 ₹655

143.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$4.03 ₹381

120.60%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$43.19 ₹4,086

1500.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$1,593 ₹150.7K

914.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$8.06 ₹763

617.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$8.00 ₹757

342.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$49.75 ₹4,706

127.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$9.08 ₹859

814.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$296 ₹28.0K

105.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$235 ₹22.2K

90.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$411 ₹38.9K

394.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$182 ₹17.2K

722.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Malda: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $296 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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 $106 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 133% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,835 in Phuket and $787 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: $607 in Phuket versus $296 in Malda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 176% 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 $525 in Malda versus $1,223 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 133% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.