Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mandi

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandi: $366 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Mandi
Learn more

Mandi Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Mandi

🇮🇳 India

$366

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mandi

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 Mandi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $366 in Mandi.

Phuket $1,278
Mandi $366

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $572 in Mandi.

Phuket $2,216
Mandi $572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $777 in Mandi.

Phuket $3,154
Mandi $777

Living in Phuket is roughly 249% more expensive than in Mandi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Mandi 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.02 ₹97.5

338.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$10.64 ₹1,013

204.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.73 ₹355

136.19%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$0.83 ₹78.7

240.96%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.36 ₹34.53

141.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.10 ₹9.28

390.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$1.90 ₹181

34.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.56 ₹244

43.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.58 ₹54.9

186.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$0.54 ₹51.5

170.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.77 ₹73.7

94.81%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$0.89 ₹85.2

134.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$2.46 ₹234

675.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.06 ₹196

60.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$1.04 ₹98.9

181.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$0.70 ₹66.5

141.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$0.51 ₹48.56

341.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.31 ₹29.30

570.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.28 ₹26.39

439.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.35 ₹32.86

294.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.33 ₹31.70

224.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.20 ₹19.01

160.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.94 ₹470

-14.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$8.45 ₹805

122.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.48 ₹141

22.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.00 ₹190

42.00%

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

$4.80 ₹457

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.23 ₹21.61

530.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$7.02 ₹668

707.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.06 ₹101

184.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.33 ₹31.61

209.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$1.41 ₹134

161.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$0.97 ₹92.7

51.55%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

135.87%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$18.2K ₹1.7M

46.79%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$65.4 ₹6,229

47.26%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$3.75 ₹357

200.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$7.10 ₹676

137.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$13.95 ₹1,328

381.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$6.64 ₹633

61.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.61 ₹343

107.76%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$50.4 ₹4,800

843.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$1,409 ₹134.1K

699.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$25.15 ₹2,395

147.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$27.61 ₹2,629

2.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$38.49 ₹3,665

144.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$39.46 ₹3,757

117.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$107 ₹10.2K

567.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$71.3 ₹6,791

588.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$264 ₹25.1K

629.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$186 ₹17.7K

668.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$1,006 ₹95.8K

315.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$531 ₹50.6K

473.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$424 ₹40.3K

18.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.88

-37.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mandi: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Mandi

$71 19.5% 85.5% $420

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Mandi

$82 22.4% 69.2% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Mandi

$76 20.8% 38.7% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mandi

$59 16.1% 51.7% $63

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mandi

$46 12.5% 62.4% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Mandi

$21 5.8% 74.3% $61

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Mandi

$11 2.9% 84.9% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $107 in Mandi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 19% 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: $32 in Phuket vs $11 in Mandi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $82 per month, with Mandi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Mandi

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

09:55 9:55 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

100,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 95.21 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Mandi 3,460 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mandi

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 Mandi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $366 in Mandi, so Mandi is about 71% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Phuket, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $107 in Mandi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 225% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandi – a meal for two runs $11 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $366 in Mandi versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Mandi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mandi 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 Mandi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.