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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $486 in Panaji.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $775 in Panaji.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,064 in Panaji.

Living in Phuket is roughly 157% more expensive than in Panaji, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Panaji 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.59 ₹346

26.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,550

$17.54 ₹1,688

163.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.90 ₹376

126.67%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.22 ₹214

37.84%

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

$0.73 ฿24.36

$0.46 ₹43.86

58.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.37

$0.19 ₹18.42

110.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.6

$1.18 ₹113

105.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.08 ₹200

81.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿75.8

$0.82 ₹79.2

175.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$0.51 ₹49.01

254.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$0.77 ₹73.7

192.21%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.4

$0.99 ₹95.5

127.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿655

$5.94 ₹572

228.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿122

$3.95 ₹380

-7.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿438

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.56 ₹246

26.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$0.89 ₹85.8

82.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.0

$1.29 ₹125

84.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.0

$0.66 ₹63.6

207.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$0.45 ₹43.37

240.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.49 ₹47.15

206.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$0.95 ₹91.5

3.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.36

$0.38 ₹36.27

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.97 ₹286

49.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿615

$7.16 ₹690

155.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.00 ₹96.2

86.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.0

$3.39 ₹326

-20.94%

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

$4.75 ₹457

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.37

$0.16 ₹15.57

781.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$7.12 ₹686

64.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿104

$0.45 ₹43.80

591.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$1.47 ₹142

859.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.02

$1.15 ₹111

13.91%

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$11.0K ₹1.1M

153.75%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$24.4K ₹2.3M

36.34%

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

$122 ฿4,110

$23.36 ₹2,249

424.14%

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

$13.59 ฿456

$4.26 ₹410

219.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿628

$9.45 ₹910

97.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,031

$34.59 ₹3,330

74.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

$3.46 ₹333

390.75%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.23 ₹311

180.80%

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

$706 ฿23.7K

$60.5 ₹5,828

1067.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.5K

$1,625 ₹156.5K

872.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,965

$41.17 ₹3,964

42.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,187

$28.50 ₹2,744

24.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,876

$23.46 ₹2,259

392.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,811

$17.56 ₹1,690

376.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$191 ₹18.4K

228.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.9K

$148 ₹14.3K

200.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.5K

$390 ₹37.6K

422.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.1K

$282 ₹27.1K

429.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

$896 ₹86.3K

288.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

$695 ₹66.9K

270.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$186 ₹17.9K

168.49%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Panaji: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $191 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Panaji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 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 157% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 168% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $191 in Panaji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $60.5 in Panaji. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 138% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $486 in Panaji versus $1,250 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 157% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.