Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Port Blair Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Port Blair

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $383 in Port Blair.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $613 in Port Blair.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $842 in Port Blair.

Living in Phuket is roughly 230% more expensive than in Port Blair, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Port Blair 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.35 ₹224

90.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$10.30 ₹982

342.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.68 ₹351

138.04%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.58 ₹151

87.97%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.40 ₹38.50

72.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.15 ₹13.97

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.69 ₹162

49.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.07 ₹293

22.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.71 ₹67.8

202.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.45 ₹42.81

304.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.72 ₹68.9

202.78%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$0.95 ₹90.4

136.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$4.85 ₹463

312.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.94 ₹280

23.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.03 ₹194

59.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.68 ₹64.6

141.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.99 ₹94.9

135.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.51 ₹48.43

305.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.38 ₹36.47

307.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.45 ₹42.74

224.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.49 ₹46.41

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.32 ₹30.36

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.84 ₹366

13.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.58 ₹627

182.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.76 ₹168

5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.80 ₹267

-5.36%

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

$5.10 ₹487

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.30 ₹28.78

373.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$8.78 ₹838

31.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.83 ₹78.7

281.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.44 ₹137

864.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.18 ₹112

13.56%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

100.43%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$21.8K ₹2.1M

53.22%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$39.68 ₹3,784

210.11%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$3.44 ₹328

300.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$7.33 ₹699

150.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$15.85 ₹1,512

282.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$7.00 ₹668

145.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.39 ₹419

102.05%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$52.3 ₹4,986

1215.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,540 ₹146.9K

924.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$24.32 ₹2,319

143.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$25.35 ₹2,417

36.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$43.41 ₹4,140

165.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$31.65 ₹3,018

164.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$96.8 ₹9,236

541.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$74.7 ₹7,125

497.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$271 ₹25.8K

651.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$177 ₹16.9K

746.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,009 ₹96.2K

242.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$521 ₹49.7K

385.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$624 ₹59.6K

-20.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.67

-38.52%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Port Blair: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $96.8 in Port Blair. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Blair pays 27% 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 $10.00 in Port Blair for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $104 per month, with Port Blair 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 Port Blair: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Blair is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 230% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Port Blair. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $96.8 in Port Blair. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $52.3 in Port Blair. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 181% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $383 in Port Blair versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Port Blair but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Port Blair the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Port Blair 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 Port Blair 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 Port Blair gentler on the wallet – expenses run 230% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.