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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $532 in Malda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $673 in Malda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $813 in Malda.

Living in Phuket is roughly 138% more expensive than in Malda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Malda 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.22 ₹307

39.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$11.43 ₹1,091

298.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.50 ₹334

150.29%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.88 ₹179

57.98%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.41 ₹39.04

68.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.14 ₹13.50

178.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.78 ₹170

42.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.00 ₹286

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.60 ₹57.1

258.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.40 ₹37.80

355.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.49 ₹46.55

344.90%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$0.76 ₹72.3

196.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.54 ₹528

261.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.61 ₹249

39.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.47 ₹236

31.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.79 ₹75.7

107.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.33 ₹126

75.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.64 ₹61.2

223.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.30 ₹28.73

416.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.33 ₹31.78

342.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.44 ₹42.08

122.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.15 ₹14.23

220.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.91 ₹373

11.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.00 ₹858

106.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.68 ₹160

10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.42 ₹231

9.50%

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

$2.46 ₹235

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.28 ₹26.57

407.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$8.60 ₹821

34.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.59 ₹56.4

437.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.28 ₹26.35

267.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.99 ₹190

597.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.23 ₹117

8.94%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$15.7K ₹1.5M

76.77%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$22.4K ₹2.1M

49.10%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$41.19 ₹3,928

198.74%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$3.83 ₹366

259.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$5.66 ₹540

223.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$15.80 ₹1,507

284.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$7.00 ₹667

145.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.16 ₹397

113.22%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$43.87 ₹4,184

1467.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,567 ₹149.4K

907.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$8.30 ₹791

614.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$8.29 ₹791

318.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$48.98 ₹4,672

135.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$9.28 ₹885

802.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$296 ₹28.2K

109.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$228 ₹21.8K

95.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$399 ₹38.1K

409.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$184 ₹17.5K

714.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Malda: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $296 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Malda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $107 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 138% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $798 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: $621 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 173% 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 $11.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $532 in Malda versus $1,264 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 138% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.