Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nellore

For one person, living is cheaper in Nellore: $468 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Nellore, India
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Nellore
🇮🇳 India
$468
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Nellore

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Nellore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $468 in Nellore.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Nellore $468

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $717 in Nellore.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Nellore $717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $965 in Nellore.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Nellore $965

Living in Phuket is roughly 173% more expensive than in Nellore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Nellore 66% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Nellore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$1.59 ₹151
181.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$9.05 ₹859
258.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$4.24 ₹403
107.78%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$2.13 ₹202
32.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.42
$0.31 ₹29.04
180.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.66
$0.14 ₹13.41
250.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$1.59 ₹151
61.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.22 ₹211
65.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Nellore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$0.78 ₹74.1
112.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.32
$0.40 ₹38.16
265.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$0.59 ₹55.7
154.24%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$0.75 ₹71.3
178.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$6.58 ₹624
189.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$2.48 ₹236
33.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$1.66 ₹157
76.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$0.72 ₹67.9
134.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$0.69 ₹66.0
226.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$0.37 ₹34.80
462.16%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.34 ₹31.82
344.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.54
$0.41 ₹38.60
236.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.97
$0.61 ₹58.1
75.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.31 ₹29.75
67.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$5.18 ₹492
-18.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$7.29 ₹692
157.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.87 ₹177
-2.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$3.18 ₹302
-10.69%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$3.45 ₹328
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Nellore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.00
$0.20 ₹18.98
625.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.07 ₹101
182.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.34
$0.47 ₹44.16
117.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$2.08 ₹197
77.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.78
$1.08 ₹103
36.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.7K
$11.4K ₹1.1M
135.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.8K
$20.2K ₹1.9M
32.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Nellore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,252
$33.06 ₹3,139
191.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$3.29 ₹312
242.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$6.72 ₹638
150.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Nellore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,269
$12.12 ₹1,151
454.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$1.07 ₹102
902.80%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$2.08 ₹197
260.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Nellore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$35.25 ₹3,347
1250.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.1K
$1,406 ₹133.5K
700.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Nellore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,105
$17.82 ₹1,692
249.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$8.25 ₹783
244.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,182
$29.28 ₹2,779
222.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,896
$23.60 ₹2,241
263.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Nellore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$223 ₹21.1K
221.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$199 ₹18.9K
146.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$432 ₹41.0K
346.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$403 ₹38.3K
255.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$697 ₹66.2K
498.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$475 ₹45.1K
541.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Nellore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$679 ₹64.5K
-26.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.2
-45.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nellore: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Nellore
$199 59.4% $292
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Nellore
$105 60.6% $161
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Nellore
$43 65.4% $81
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Nellore
$36 70.9% $86
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Nellore
$65 46.4% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Nellore
$16 80.2% $66
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Nellore
$4.2 * 94.1% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $223 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: $32 in Phuket vs $9 in Nellore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $105 per month, with Nellore cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇮🇳 Nellore
🕒 Local time
20:05 8:05 PM
18:35 6:35 PM
1 h 30 min behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
547,621
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Nellore 2,130 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Nellore

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Nellore cheaper than Phuket?
Nellore is about 63% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Nellore?
On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Nellore?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $223 in Nellore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $35 in Nellore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Nellore?
Dining out is cheaper in Nellore – a meal for two runs $9 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Nellore?
At $468 in Nellore versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Nellore?
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.

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