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 $406 in Malda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $577 in Malda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $749 in Malda.

Living in Phuket is roughly 204% more expensive than in Malda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Malda 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.01 ₹96.9

336.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$15.80 ₹1,516

104.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.24 ₹406

110.61%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.59 ₹152

82.39%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.44 ₹41.76

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.14 ₹13.54

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.89 ₹182

24.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.15 ₹302

18.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.65 ₹62.3

187.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.43 ₹41.24

241.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.50 ₹47.99

210.00%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.78 ₹74.6

169.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$5.49 ₹527

256.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.27 ₹218

50.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.45 ₹235

21.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.82 ₹79.1

104.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.47 ₹141

50.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.54 ₹51.7

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.20 ₹19.16

660.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.38 ₹36.37

252.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.30 ₹28.46

276.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.14 ₹13.49

292.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.09 ₹488

-16.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$10.22 ₹981

86.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.69 ₹162

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.66 ₹255

4.51%

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

$2.14 ₹205

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.64 ₹61.6

373.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.32 ₹30.79

218.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.55 ₹149

150.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.12 ₹107

33.04%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$14.2K ₹1.4M

86.61%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$21.1K ₹2.0M

28.20%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$56.1 ₹5,384

82.59%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$3.18 ₹305

256.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$4.19 ₹402

315.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.70 ₹355

107.84%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$38.83 ₹3,725

1343.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$1,979 ₹189.8K

481.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$5.31 ₹510

1087.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$22.17 ₹2,127

33.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$32.81 ₹3,148

198.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$27.02 ₹2,592

227.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$162 ₹15.5K

355.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$124 ₹11.9K

288.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$280 ₹26.9K

651.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$155 ₹14.9K

691.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.27

-39.91%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Malda: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $162 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Malda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $108 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, Getting Around. The 204% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $608 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: $738 in Phuket versus $162 in Malda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 154% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $406 in Malda – a 204% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $406 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 204% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.