Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Panaji Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Panaji

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $474 in Panaji.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $764 in Panaji.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,055 in Panaji.

Living in Phuket is roughly 167% more expensive than Panaji, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Panaji 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.47 ₹331

35.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$17.57 ₹1,674

158.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.87 ₹369

117.83%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.13 ₹203

37.56%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.46 ₹43.78

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.18 ₹16.73

105.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.18 ₹113

104.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.02 ₹192

84.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.83 ₹79.0

168.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.48 ₹45.61

281.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.78 ₹74.5

178.21%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$0.99 ₹94.5

123.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$5.87 ₹559

236.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.93 ₹374

-7.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.47 ₹236

32.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.89 ₹85.2

80.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.35 ₹129

78.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.62 ₹59.0

235.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.45 ₹43.20

240.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.46 ₹43.43

221.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.94 ₹89.8

5.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.37 ₹35.61

37.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.82 ₹269

56.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.26 ₹691

166.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.06 ₹101

67.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.44 ₹328

-21.22%

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

$4.54 ₹432

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.19 ₹17.86

621.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$7.16 ₹682

59.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.45 ₹43.10

571.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$1.48 ₹141

852.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.19 ₹113

14.29%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$10.7K ₹1.0M

162.91%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.9K ₹2.3M

37.66%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$23.32 ₹2,222

421.87%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$4.25 ₹405

219.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$9.63 ₹918

90.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$34.21 ₹3,259

76.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$3.46 ₹330

395.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.12 ₹297

178.53%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$61.9 ₹5,892

1020.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,611 ₹153.4K

873.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$40.89 ₹3,895

45.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$28.65 ₹2,729

21.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$22.90 ₹2,181

400.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$17.18 ₹1,637

384.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$197 ₹18.7K

211.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$145 ₹13.9K

200.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$389 ₹37.0K

438.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$284 ₹27.0K

432.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$906 ₹86.3K

313.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$688 ₹65.6K

279.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$189 ₹18.0K

168.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.62

-44.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Panaji: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $197 in Panaji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 168% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Panaji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $121 per month, with Panaji 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 Panaji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Panaji is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 167% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 168% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $197 in Panaji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $61.9 in Panaji. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 142% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $474 in Panaji versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Panaji but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Panaji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Panaji 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 Panaji 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 Panaji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.