Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Purnia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Purnia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $365 in Purnia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $579 in Purnia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $793 in Purnia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 247% more expensive than in Purnia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Purnia 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$2.13 ₹203

118.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$9.32 ₹891

245.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$3.08 ₹294

181.82%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.60 ₹153

81.25%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.39 ₹36.88

115.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.14 ₹13.72

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.97 ₹188

25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$6.11 ₹583

-38.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.64 ₹61.5

195.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.40 ₹38.58

252.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.51 ₹49.06

217.65%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$0.93 ₹89.3

140.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$3.54 ₹338

460.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.14 ₹204

62.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.43 ₹136

102.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.52 ₹49.42

230.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.05 ₹100

116.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.41 ₹39.28

419.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.24 ₹22.89

512.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.22 ₹21.04

545.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.43 ₹41.55

155.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.27 ₹25.63

122.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.16 ₹302

36.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$6.25 ₹597

197.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.56 ₹149

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.04 ₹195

45.59%

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

$6.75 ₹645

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.25 ₹23.83

800.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$7.35 ₹702

219.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.32 ₹126

134.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.19 ₹18.37

468.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$2.08 ₹198

86.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.12 ₹107

27.68%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$13.8K ₹1.3M

101.42%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$27.0K ₹2.6M

-0.08%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$45.38 ₹4,336

130.94%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$2.84 ₹272

301.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$6.32 ₹604

177.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$14.11 ₹1,348

285.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$6.66 ₹636

71.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$3.33 ₹318

133.63%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$55.9 ₹5,340

931.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$1,680 ₹160.5K

589.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$24.03 ₹2,295

164.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$28.78 ₹2,749

1.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$39.12 ₹3,738

145.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$33.13 ₹3,165

171.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$125 ₹11.9K

487.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$74.2 ₹7,090

574.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$265 ₹25.3K

702.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$173 ₹16.5K

625.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$960 ₹91.7K

268.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$522 ₹49.9K

402.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$315 ₹30.1K

61.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.46

-41.12%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Purnia: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $125 in Purnia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 61% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Purnia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $85.0 per month, with Purnia 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 Purnia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Purnia is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 247% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $125 in Purnia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $55.9 in Purnia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 225% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $365 in Purnia versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Purnia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Purnia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Purnia 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 Purnia 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 Purnia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 247% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.