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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $437 in Panaji.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $695 in Panaji.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $953 in Panaji.

Living in Phuket is roughly 187% more expensive than in Panaji, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Panaji 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.67 ₹253

70.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$15.97 ₹1,509

104.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$3.70 ₹350

140.54%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.74 ₹165

60.92%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.43 ₹40.56

104.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.20 ₹19.26

145.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.06 ₹100

125.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.89 ₹179

96.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$0.74 ₹70.3

141.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.49 ₹46.12

193.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.76 ₹71.9

107.89%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$0.88 ₹82.8

142.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$5.65 ₹534

252.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$3.45 ₹326

-0.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.52 ₹238

17.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.82 ₹77.1

109.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.33 ₹125

74.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.43 ₹40.57

383.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.38 ₹35.50

286.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.41 ₹39.20

231.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.80 ₹75.8

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.36 ₹34.35

58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.79 ₹358

12.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$7.37 ₹697

149.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.80 ₹75.7

133.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$3.17 ₹300

-7.89%

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

$4.41 ₹417

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.15 ₹14.48

1380.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$6.39 ₹604

258.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.33 ₹31.34

818.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.55 ₹52.0

94.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$2.11 ₹200

86.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.07 ₹101

39.25%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$16.6K ₹1.6M

63.37%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$24.9K ₹2.4M

10.30%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$20.91 ₹1,976

391.63%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$3.53 ₹333

211.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$8.51 ₹804

105.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$30.77 ₹2,907

73.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$3.11 ₹294

260.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$2.84 ₹268

163.38%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$54.9 ₹5,187

914.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$1,426 ₹134.7K

731.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$36.32 ₹3,432

76.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$26.51 ₹2,505

9.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$20.91 ₹1,976

358.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$15.54 ₹1,468

481.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$175 ₹16.5K

318.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$132 ₹12.5K

278.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$350 ₹33.1K

497.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$261 ₹24.7K

363.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$920 ₹87.0K

290.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$693 ₹65.5K

262.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$193 ₹18.2K

161.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.74

-42.81%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Panaji: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $175 in Panaji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 161% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Panaji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $113 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, Getting Around. The 187% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 161% higher in Phuket, 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: $730 in Phuket versus $175 in Panaji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $54.9 in Panaji. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 143% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $437 in Panaji versus $1,253 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 187% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.