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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $781 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,281 in Mumbai (Bombay).

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,781 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 6% lower, Mumbai (Bombay) 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.13 ₹488

-11.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$22.35 ₹2,126

108.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.69 ₹446

80.60%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.65 ₹252

14.34%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.47 ₹44.56

46.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.19 ₹18.19

94.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.28 ₹217

9.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.12 ₹392

-11.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.74 ₹70.2

194.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.52 ₹49.55

265.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.84 ₹79.5

161.90%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.07 ₹102

107.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.05 ₹671

183.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.93 ₹374

-6.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.34 ₹223

38.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.77 ₹73.1

120.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.31 ₹125

82.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.64 ₹60.6

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.53 ₹50.0

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.63 ₹59.7

134.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.69 ₹65.7

49.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.35 ₹33.47

48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.16 ₹396

2.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.59 ₹817

118.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.14 ₹203

-17.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.24 ₹309

-14.81%

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

$7.22 ₹686

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.24 ₹22.96

466.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$4.73 ₹450

140.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.37 ₹34.92

748.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.43 ₹136

862.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.22 ₹116

9.84%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$17.4K ₹1.7M

59.45%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$25.4K ₹2.4M

33.28%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$51.2 ₹4,865

141.62%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$5.03 ₹478

168.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$8.65 ₹823

116.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$22.99 ₹2,186

168.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$11.83 ₹1,125

45.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.53 ₹431

101.77%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$121 ₹11.5K

479.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,356 ₹319.1K

372.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$29.19 ₹2,776

103.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$30.76 ₹2,925

14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$56.6 ₹5,385

103.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$41.02 ₹3,901

104.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$695 ₹66.1K

-10.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$350 ₹33.3K

23.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,778 ₹169.1K

15.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$835 ₹79.4K

80.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$6,331 ₹602.1K

-42.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$2,639 ₹251.0K

-0.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$737 ₹70.1K

-31.17%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mumbai (Bombay): June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $695 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mumbai (Bombay) pays 45% 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 $293 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

Phuket and Mumbai (Bombay) differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $781 including rent). Mumbai (Bombay) is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mumbai (Bombay) earns 45% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $695 in Mumbai (Bombay). Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 125% 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 $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $781 in Mumbai (Bombay) versus $1,261 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 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.