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 $759 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,262 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,766 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than Mumbai (Bombay), driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Mumbai (Bombay) 43% lower.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Phuket
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63 āļŋ151
$5.31 â‚đ504
-12.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84 āļŋ1,532
$22.21 â‚đ2,108
110.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.84 āļŋ289
$4.67 â‚đ443
89.29%
Cappuccino
$3.00 āļŋ98.0
$2.62 â‚đ249
14.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 āļŋ24.25
$0.51 â‚đ48.04
45.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 āļŋ11.95
$0.15 â‚đ14.08
146.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 āļŋ79.8
$2.27 â‚đ216
7.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 āļŋ118
$4.09 â‚đ388
-11.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 āļŋ73.9
$0.80 â‚đ75.7
182.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 āļŋ60.1
$0.52 â‚đ49.64
253.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 āļŋ73.4
$0.82 â‚đ77.5
173.17%
Eggs
$2.32 āļŋ75.7
$1.09 â‚đ104
112.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.67 āļŋ643
$7.02 â‚đ666
180.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.65 āļŋ119
$3.89 â‚đ369
-6.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 āļŋ428
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.39 āļŋ111
$2.38 â‚đ226
42.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 āļŋ53.7
$0.80 â‚đ76.3
105.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 āļŋ79.0
$1.30 â‚đ123
85.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 āļŋ66.4
$0.65 â‚đ61.7
212.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.56 āļŋ50.9
$0.57 â‚đ53.7
173.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 āļŋ48.94
$0.63 â‚đ60.2
138.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 āļŋ33.50
$0.63 â‚đ60.1
61.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 āļŋ16.00
$0.33 â‚đ31.00
48.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45 āļŋ145
$4.00 â‚đ380
11.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.88 āļŋ617
$8.07 â‚đ766
133.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 āļŋ58.1
$2.16 â‚đ205
-17.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 āļŋ90.1
$3.39 â‚đ322
-18.88%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$7.13 â‚đ677
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 āļŋ45.81
$0.24 â‚đ22.82
483.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.48 āļŋ376
$4.63 â‚đ440
147.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 āļŋ102
$0.34 â‚đ32.17
817.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 āļŋ32.67
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.09 āļŋ461
$1.40 â‚đ133
906.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 āļŋ44.19
$1.22 â‚đ116
10.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K āļŋ888.9K
$17.3K â‚đ1.6M
57.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
$25.3K â‚đ2.4M
30.27%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 āļŋ4,087
$50.2 â‚đ4,764
149.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57 āļŋ444
$5.00 â‚đ474
171.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52 āļŋ606
$8.79 â‚đ835
110.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.5 āļŋ2,010
$23.18 â‚đ2,201
165.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84 āļŋ551
$11.81 â‚đ1,121
42.59%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19 āļŋ300
$4.70 â‚đ446
95.53%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Phuket
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$698 āļŋ22.8K
$121 â‚đ11.5K
478.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.6K āļŋ509.9K
$3,385 â‚đ321.4K
360.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8 āļŋ1,889
$29.30 â‚đ2,782
97.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24 āļŋ1,152
$30.72 â‚đ2,917
14.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 āļŋ3,699
$55.0 â‚đ5,225
105.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4 āļŋ2,825
$39.51 â‚đ3,751
118.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$616 āļŋ20.1K
$694 â‚đ65.9K
-11.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$446 āļŋ14.6K
$359 â‚đ34.1K
24.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,048 āļŋ67.0K
$1,797 â‚đ170.6K
13.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,492 āļŋ48.8K
$821 â‚đ77.9K
81.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,779 āļŋ123.6K
$6,515 â‚đ618.6K
-42.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,649 āļŋ86.6K
$2,661 â‚đ252.6K
-0.45%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Mumbai (Bombay)
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$524 āļŋ17.1K
$719 â‚đ68.3K
-27.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
9.22
-42.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $694 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Mumbai (Bombay) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $130 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
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and Mumbai (Bombay)?
Phuket and Mumbai (Bombay) differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $759 including rent). Mumbai (Bombay) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, Mumbai (Bombay) earns 37% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and Mumbai (Bombay)?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $694 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 125% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Mumbai (Bombay) – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $759 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.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Mumbai (Bombay)?
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.
Is Phuket or Mumbai (Bombay) safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Phuket or Mumbai (Bombay)?
Expats usually find Mumbai (Bombay) gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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