Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Purnia

For one person, living is cheaper in Purnia: $372 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Purnia
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Purnia Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Purnia

🇮🇳 India

$372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Purnia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Purnia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $372 in Purnia.

Phuket $1,278
Purnia $372

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $584 in Purnia.

Phuket $2,216
Purnia $584

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $797 in Purnia.

Phuket $3,154
Purnia $797

Living in Phuket is roughly 244% more expensive than in Purnia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Purnia 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.09 ₹199

113.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$9.47 ₹902

242.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.23 ₹308

172.76%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$1.65 ₹157

71.52%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.38 ₹36.21

128.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.15 ₹14.05

226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.96 ₹186

30.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.01 ₹572

-38.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.62 ₹58.9

167.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.41 ₹38.58

256.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.52 ₹49.05

188.46%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$0.91 ₹86.6

129.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$3.53 ₹336

440.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.07 ₹197

59.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.36 ₹130

115.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.51 ₹48.96

231.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.00 ₹95.3

125.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.41 ₹39.49

407.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.24 ₹22.62

529.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.20 ₹19.04

590.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.44 ₹41.48

143.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.29 ₹27.97

79.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.24 ₹309

29.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.11 ₹582

207.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.63 ₹155

11.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.12 ₹202

33.96%

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

$6.93 ₹660

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.19 ₹18.11

663.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$7.63 ₹727

642.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.33 ₹126

127.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.20 ₹18.75

410.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.15 ₹204

71.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.13 ₹108

30.09%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

134.60%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$27.8K ₹2.6M

-4.07%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$46.35 ₹4,414

107.87%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$2.89 ₹275

289.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$6.36 ₹605

164.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$12.70 ₹1,209

429.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$7.10 ₹676

51.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.38 ₹322

121.89%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$56.0 ₹5,327

750.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$1,684 ₹160.4K

568.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$23.72 ₹2,258

162.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$29.41 ₹2,800

-3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$38.92 ₹3,706

142.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$33.13 ₹3,154

158.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$119 ₹11.3K

502.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$75.5 ₹7,191

550.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$267 ₹25.5K

620.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$183 ₹17.5K

680.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$910 ₹86.7K

358.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$525 ₹50.0K

480.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$314 ₹29.9K

59.80%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Purnia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Purnia

$76 20.3% 84.6% $415

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Purnia

$84 22.6% 68.5% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Purnia

$56 15% 55.3% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Purnia

$56 15.2% 53.8% $66

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Purnia

$70 18.9% 42.4% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Purnia

$19 5.2% 76.3% $63

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Purnia

$11 2.9% 84.8% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $119 in Purnia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 60% 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 in Phuket vs $9 in Purnia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $84 per month, with Purnia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Purnia

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

310,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Purnia 2,300 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Purnia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 71% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $119 in Purnia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $56 in Purnia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 218% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $372 in Purnia versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Purnia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.