Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mumbai (Bombay) Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mumbai (Bombay)

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $783 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,280 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,776 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Living in Phuket is roughly 57% more expensive than in Mumbai (Bombay), driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Mumbai (Bombay) 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.10 ₹489

-13.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$20.90 ₹2,005

54.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.18 ₹401

113.64%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.61 ₹251

11.11%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.38 ₹36.00

131.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.14 ₹13.11

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.57 ₹247

-8.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.27 ₹410

-12.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.70 ₹67.2

167.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.52 ₹50.2

182.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.78 ₹74.5

98.72%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.96 ₹91.7

118.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$5.52 ₹530

254.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.57 ₹343

-4.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.28 ₹218

30.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.74 ₹71.0

127.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.22 ₹117

81.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.47 ₹45.18

359.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.33 ₹31.97

360.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.37 ₹35.32

262.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.43 ₹41.03

162.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.31 ₹29.91

77.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.03 ₹483

-15.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.27 ₹794

130.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.03 ₹195

-12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.09 ₹296

-10.03%

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

$5.81 ₹557

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.20 ₹19.16

1015.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$5.57 ₹534

308.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.32 ₹30.87

846.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.33 ₹31.21

209.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.59 ₹152

144.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.13 ₹109

31.86%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$15.9K ₹1.5M

67.11%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$22.2K ₹2.1M

21.95%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$60.9 ₹5,839

68.37%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$4.28 ₹410

164.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$9.27 ₹890

87.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$26.11 ₹2,505

99.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$12.92 ₹1,240

-14.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.81 ₹462

59.88%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$118 ₹11.4K

373.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$4,909 ₹471.0K

134.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$35.15 ₹3,373

79.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$39.23 ₹3,763

-24.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$57.7 ₹5,540

69.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$48.14 ₹4,618

83.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$635 ₹60.9K

16.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$355 ₹34.1K

35.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,933 ₹185.5K

8.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$835 ₹80.1K

46.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$6,093 ₹584.5K

-40.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,473 ₹237.2K

5.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$754 ₹72.3K

-34.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.33

-33.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $635 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Mumbai (Bombay) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $117 per month, with Mumbai (Bombay) 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 Mumbai (Bombay): Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Mumbai (Bombay) differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $783 including rent). Mumbai (Bombay) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Mumbai (Bombay). That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $635 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 134% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mumbai (Bombay) – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $783 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mumbai (Bombay) but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mumbai (Bombay) 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Mumbai (Bombay) 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 Mumbai (Bombay) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.