Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mangalore Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mangalore

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $486 in Mangalore, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $735 in Mangalore, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $983 in Mangalore, rent included.

Phuket costs about 154% more than Mangalore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Mangalore are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Mangalore 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.65 ₹251

74.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$12.87 ₹1,222

263.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.09 ₹388

116.14%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.06 ₹196

45.63%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.44 ₹41.63

68.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.21 ₹20.33

76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.40 ₹227

1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.96 ₹281

21.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.53 ₹50.5

326.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.50 ₹47.51

268.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.67 ₹63.6

234.33%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.01 ₹96.0

129.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.20 ₹399

368.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.98 ₹283

22.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.94 ₹184

74.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.87 ₹83.0

88.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.01 ₹96.2

138.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.42 ₹40.22

383.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.49 ₹46.08

218.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.45 ₹43.18

233.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.97 ₹91.8

5.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.32 ₹30.80

53.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.24 ₹307

37.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$3.21 ₹305

488.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.59 ₹151

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$4.29 ₹407

-35.90%

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

$4.41 ₹418

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.30 ₹28.69

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$35.18 ₹3,340

-67.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.56 ₹53.2

457.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.42 ₹39.69

138.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$0.60 ₹56.8

2248.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.18 ₹112

14.41%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$11.6K ₹1.1M

134.53%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.9K ₹1.7M

84.04%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$31.82 ₹3,021

292.77%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.63 ₹440

193.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$7.45 ₹708

148.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$18.31 ₹1,738

235.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$3.97 ₹377

324.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.87 ₹272

220.21%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$62.3 ₹5,918

1020.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$939 ₹89.2K

1560.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$32.88 ₹3,122

75.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.69 ₹2,818

18.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$50.6 ₹4,807

123.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$36.42 ₹3,458

137.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$195 ₹18.5K

216.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$143 ₹13.6K

211.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$365 ₹34.6K

461.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$243 ₹23.1K

514.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$580 ₹55.0K

551.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$390 ₹37.0K

579.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$316 ₹30.0K

65.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.69

-30.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mangalore: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $195 in Mangalore. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 66% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $13.00 in Mangalore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $99.0 – making Mangalore the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Mangalore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 154%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $729 in Mangalore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mangalore, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,232 in Phuket and $486 in Mangalore. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 206% less in Mangalore. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mangalore, where all-in costs run around $486, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Mangalore it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mangalore – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mangalore. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.