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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $766 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,262 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,757 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Living in Phuket is roughly 65% more expensive than in Mumbai (Bombay), driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Mumbai (Bombay) 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.16 ₹492

-13.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$21.87 ₹2,086

108.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.70 ₹448

86.38%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.63 ₹251

12.93%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.47 ₹45.27

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.19 ₹17.73

105.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.29 ₹218

10.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.17 ₹398

-10.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.73 ₹69.6

194.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.48 ₹45.80

279.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.83 ₹79.6

162.65%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.05 ₹100.0

114.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.06 ₹673

183.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.79 ₹361

-4.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.31 ₹220

40.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.81 ₹77.1

102.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.26 ₹120

84.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.69 ₹65.8

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.52 ₹49.98

198.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.64 ₹61.0

128.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.68 ₹65.3

44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.35 ₹33.41

37.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.14 ₹394

5.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.41 ₹802

120.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.11 ₹201

-11.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.43 ₹328

-22.74%

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

$6.96 ₹664

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.24 ₹22.96

491.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$4.52 ₹431

155.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.33 ₹31.79

860.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.43 ₹136

871.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.23 ₹118

8.94%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$17.2K ₹1.6M

61.89%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$24.7K ₹2.4M

35.19%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$50.0 ₹4,773

145.90%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$4.84 ₹462

184.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$8.88 ₹847

106.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$23.13 ₹2,205

162.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$12.04 ₹1,148

42.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.60 ₹439

92.83%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$119 ₹11.4K

476.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,313 ₹316.0K

376.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$29.89 ₹2,851

98.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$30.14 ₹2,874

15.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$55.7 ₹5,312

106.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$40.93 ₹3,904

104.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$702 ₹67.0K

-11.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$362 ₹34.5K

23.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,775 ₹169.3K

14.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$845 ₹80.6K

76.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$6,137 ₹585.3K

-43.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,570 ₹245.1K

-1.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$767 ₹73.2K

-35.68%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $702 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 55% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Mumbai (Bombay) for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $129 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 65% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $766 including rent). Mumbai (Bombay) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 55% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $702 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 126% 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 $22.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $766 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,264 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 65% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.