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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $383 in Port Blair.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $607 in Port Blair.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $832 in Port Blair.

Living in Phuket is roughly 232% more expensive than 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

$4.66 ฿150

$2.39 ₹225

94.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$10.68 ₹1,002

334.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$3.63 ₹340

139.12%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.59 ₹150

85.53%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.37 ₹35.13

89.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.17 ₹16.31

129.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.77 ₹166

42.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.00 ₹282

26.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$0.70 ₹65.9

217.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.45 ₹41.96

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$0.67 ₹62.6

226.87%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$0.90 ₹84.3

156.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$5.10 ₹479

279.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$2.98 ₹279

26.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.00 ₹187

66.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$0.72 ₹67.3

129.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$0.93 ₹87.8

146.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$0.50 ₹47.37

298.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.38 ₹36.03

302.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.44 ₹41.71

243.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.48 ₹45.24

114.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.32 ₹29.57

59.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$4.03 ₹379

9.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$7.32 ₹687

165.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.77 ₹166

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.80 ₹263

-4.29%

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

$5.05 ₹474

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.30 ₹28.37

376.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$8.74 ₹820

33.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.84 ₹78.8

261.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$1.43 ₹135

856.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.22 ₹115

6.56%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$14.1K ₹1.3M

97.54%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$21.6K ₹2.0M

52.74%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$39.10 ₹3,669

214.50%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$3.53 ₹331

291.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$7.32 ₹687

157.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$16.16 ₹1,517

278.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$6.98 ₹655

140.83%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$4.35 ₹408

103.91%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$50.7 ₹4,755

1274.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$1,557 ₹146.2K

931.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$24.54 ₹2,303

141.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$25.60 ₹2,403

36.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$43.18 ₹4,053

162.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$31.87 ₹2,991

166.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$96.9 ₹9,095

535.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$76.0 ₹7,133

490.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$278 ₹26.1K

648.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$183 ₹17.2K

717.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$946 ₹88.8K

294.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$523 ₹49.1K

409.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$651 ₹61.1K

-17.99%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Port Blair: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $97 in Port Blair. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Blair pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $11 in Port Blair for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 232% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Port Blair earns 22% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $96.9 in Port Blair. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $50.7 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 $383 in Port Blair versus $1,270 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 232% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.