Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nellore Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nellore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $524 in Nellore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $785 in Nellore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,045 in Nellore.

Living in Phuket is roughly 138% more expensive than in Nellore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Nellore 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$1.72 ₹166

164.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$10.60 ₹1,021

335.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$4.69 ₹452

88.49%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.29 ₹220

33.62%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.32 ₹31.23

128.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.18 ₹17.77

122.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.02 ₹194

20.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.56 ₹246

47.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.75 ₹72.3

201.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.56 ₹54.1

223.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.61 ₹58.6

268.85%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$0.85 ₹81.8

164.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.49 ₹625

200.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.03 ₹292

20.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.87 ₹180

72.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.82 ₹78.6

97.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$0.73 ₹69.9

226.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$0.41 ₹39.10

395.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.37 ₹35.82

313.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.38 ₹36.92

294.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.68 ₹65.4

44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.33 ₹32.25

57.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.79 ₹365

17.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.36 ₹708

148.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.22 ₹214

-16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.13 ₹301

-14.38%

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

$4.21 ₹405

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.22 ₹21.09

540.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$8.95 ₹862

30.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.18 ₹113

163.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.27 ₹218

521.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.22 ₹117

7.38%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$17.7K ₹1.7M

56.97%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$19.3K ₹1.9M

71.67%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$28.10 ₹2,705

335.73%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$3.75 ₹361

262.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$7.33 ₹706

155.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$15.67 ₹1,509

286.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$2.28 ₹219

644.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.37 ₹228

282.70%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$39.11 ₹3,765

1706.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$1,540 ₹148.2K

926.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$24.60 ₹2,369

138.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$25.50 ₹2,455

38.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$33.56 ₹3,231

244.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$41.24 ₹3,970

103.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$227 ₹21.9K

175.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$207 ₹19.9K

115.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$413 ₹39.7K

394.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$384 ₹37.0K

288.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$668 ₹64.3K

421.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$453 ₹43.6K

468.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$674 ₹64.9K

-25.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.5

-28.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Nellore: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $227 in Nellore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nellore pays 35% 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 $11.00 in Nellore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $113 per month, with Nellore 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 Nellore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nellore is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 138% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Nellore. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $227 in Nellore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,250 per month in Phuket versus $524 in Nellore – a 138% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nellore runs roughly 31% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $524 in Nellore versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nellore but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nellore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nellore is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Nellore 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 Nellore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.