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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $457 in Mangalore, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,078 per month in Phuket vs $690 in Mangalore, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,896 per month in Phuket vs $924 in Mangalore, rent included.

Phuket costs about 176% more than Mangalore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Mangalore are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Mangalore 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$2.66 ₹254

66.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$13.54 ₹1,296

159.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$4.07 ₹389

120.15%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.10 ₹201

42.86%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.37 ₹35.44

108.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.14 ₹13.66

235.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.15 ₹206

11.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.56 ₹245

46.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$0.48 ₹45.74

279.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$0.44 ₹41.96

222.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$0.57 ₹54.7

171.93%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$0.84 ₹80.7

153.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$3.60 ₹344

448.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$2.47 ₹236

40.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.61 ₹154

80.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$0.80 ₹76.4

107.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$0.93 ₹88.7

144.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$0.34 ₹32.44

517.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.43 ₹40.95

241.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$0.37 ₹35.26

281.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.62 ₹59.1

75.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.30 ₹29.07

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$5.06 ₹485

-11.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$3.17 ₹304

490.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.40 ₹134

31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$3.28 ₹314

-10.06%

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

$5.00 ₹478

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.25 ₹23.72

804.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$31.92 ₹3,055

-27.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.99 ₹94.3

207.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.29 ₹28.22

275.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$1.26 ₹121

203.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.04 ₹99.8

43.27%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$10.4K ₹993.0K

164.43%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$17.4K ₹1.7M

57.83%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$28.61 ₹2,738

255.85%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$4.95 ₹474

127.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$6.76 ₹647

162.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$16.26 ₹1,556

233.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$3.61 ₹346

203.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$2.67 ₹255

194.01%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$54.2 ₹5,190

964.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$844 ₹80.8K

1277.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$29.00 ₹2,776

125.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$27.52 ₹2,633

4.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$50.7 ₹4,854

95.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$35.03 ₹3,352

157.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$176 ₹16.9K

328.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$131 ₹12.5K

272.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$349 ₹33.4K

497.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$216 ₹20.6K

459.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$568 ₹54.3K

532.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$372 ₹35.6K

601.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$332 ₹31.8K

51.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.52

-25.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Mangalore: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $756 in Phuket versus $176 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 51% 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 $35.00 in Phuket versus $14.00 in Mangalore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $84.0 – 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 176%, 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 $1,891 per month in Phuket and $685 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 $1,261 in Phuket and $457 in Mangalore. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 38% 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 $457, than in Phuket at $1,261. 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.