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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $384 in Purnia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $603 in Purnia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $821 in Purnia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 229% more expensive than in Purnia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.30 ₹220

94.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$9.64 ₹922

372.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$3.56 ₹341

146.07%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.41 ₹135

110.64%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.37 ₹35.16

86.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.17 ₹16.11

129.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.31 ₹221

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.10 ₹297

20.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.69 ₹66.2

211.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.45 ₹43.14

304.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$0.49 ₹46.65

344.90%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.11 ₹106

102.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$3.94 ₹377

407.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.29 ₹219

58.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.38 ₹132

134.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$0.84 ₹80.1

95.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.06 ₹102

119.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$0.58 ₹55.7

256.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.34 ₹32.73

355.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.24 ₹22.96

508.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.52 ₹49.99

88.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.34 ₹32.72

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.49 ₹238

74.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$6.21 ₹594

199.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$2.11 ₹202

-11.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.39 ₹229

10.88%

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

$6.63 ₹634

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.30 ₹28.94

373.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$8.46 ₹809

36.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.14 ₹109

178.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$2.29 ₹219

506.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.23 ₹118

8.94%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$15.4K ₹1.5M

80.74%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$32.6K ₹3.1M

2.50%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$43.98 ₹4,206

179.79%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$3.30 ₹316

317.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$7.55 ₹722

142.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$15.76 ₹1,507

285.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$6.87 ₹657

149.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$3.68 ₹352

141.03%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$50.4 ₹4,823

1264.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$1,828 ₹174.8K

763.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$26.48 ₹2,532

123.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$27.38 ₹2,618

26.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$42.15 ₹4,031

173.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$37.67 ₹3,602

122.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$126 ₹12.0K

395.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$76.7 ₹7,338

481.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$272 ₹26.0K

647.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$180 ₹17.3K

729.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$1,007 ₹96.4K

242.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$520 ₹49.7K

386.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$318 ₹30.4K

55.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.05

-41.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Purnia: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $126 in Purnia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 55% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $10.00 in Purnia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $96.0 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 229% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $126 in Purnia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $50.4 in Purnia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 204% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $384 in Purnia versus $1,264 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 229% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.