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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $390 in Port Blair.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $619 in Port Blair.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $848 in Port Blair.

Living in Phuket is roughly 214% more expensive than Port Blair, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Port Blair 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$2.40 ₹227

87.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$10.44 ₹988

346.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$3.71 ₹351

128.84%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.59 ₹150

93.71%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.37 ₹35.23

83.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.16 ₹15.40

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.72 ₹163

41.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$3.14 ₹297

15.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$0.66 ₹62.1

231.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.49 ₹46.36

269.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.70 ₹66.5

218.57%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$0.91 ₹86.1

146.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$5.14 ₹486

281.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$2.96 ₹280

25.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.05 ₹194

63.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$0.67 ₹63.8

141.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$0.95 ₹89.7

153.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$0.51 ₹47.84

290.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.35 ₹33.53

337.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.45 ₹42.55

222.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.48 ₹45.81

110.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.35 ₹32.76

37.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.84 ₹363

11.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$7.19 ₹680

165.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.70 ₹161

8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.90 ₹275

-5.52%

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

$5.24 ₹496

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.30 ₹28.39

373.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$8.70 ₹823

34.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.84 ₹79.6

257.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$1.41 ₹133

885.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.16 ₹109

11.21%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$13.7K ₹1.3M

104.54%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$22.0K ₹2.1M

52.13%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$38.96 ₹3,686

213.09%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$3.52 ₹333

295.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$7.19 ₹681

162.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$16.20 ₹1,532

278.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$7.17 ₹678

134.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$4.40 ₹416

102.05%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$52.2 ₹4,941

1223.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$1,524 ₹144.1K

960.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$24.14 ₹2,284

139.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$25.57 ₹2,419

38.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$42.99 ₹4,068

163.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$31.42 ₹2,972

164.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$95.3 ₹9,013

536.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$77.3 ₹7,311

479.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$275 ₹26.0K

637.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$181 ₹17.1K

724.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$979 ₹92.6K

266.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$518 ₹49.0K

398.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$643 ₹60.9K

-21.53%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Port Blair: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $95.3 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $10.00 in Port Blair for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $105 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 214% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Port Blair earns 27% less. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $95.3 in Port Blair. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $52.2 in Port Blair. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 177% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $390 in Port Blair versus $1,223 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 214% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.