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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $383 in Purnia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $602 in Purnia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $821 in Purnia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 232% more expensive than Purnia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$2.36 ₹222

97.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$9.85 ₹925

371.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$3.58 ₹336

142.46%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.48 ₹139

99.32%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.39 ₹36.84

79.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.18 ₹16.43

116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.28 ₹214

10.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.11 ₹292

21.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$0.65 ₹61.1

241.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.45 ₹42.50

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$0.49 ₹46.07

346.94%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.16 ₹109

99.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$3.95 ₹371

389.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$2.39 ₹225

57.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.34 ₹126

148.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$0.78 ₹73.2

111.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.11 ₹104

106.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$0.54 ₹51.1

268.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.35 ₹32.44

337.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.22 ₹20.59

586.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.48 ₹44.71

114.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.34 ₹32.14

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.51 ₹236

75.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$6.22 ₹584

212.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$2.10 ₹198

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.36 ₹222

13.56%

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

$6.57 ₹617

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.28 ₹26.17

410.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$8.96 ₹841

30.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.14 ₹107

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$2.29 ₹215

497.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.23 ₹116

5.69%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$15.1K ₹1.4M

84.40%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$33.1K ₹3.1M

-0.29%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$43.94 ₹4,124

179.86%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$3.20 ₹301

331.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$7.60 ₹713

148.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$16.19 ₹1,519

277.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$7.22 ₹678

132.83%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$3.89 ₹365

128.02%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$50.6 ₹4,744

1277.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$1,858 ₹174.4K

764.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$25.95 ₹2,436

128.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$28.40 ₹2,666

22.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$41.86 ₹3,929

170.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$36.82 ₹3,456

130.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$122 ₹11.4K

405.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$76.5 ₹7,182

486.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$275 ₹25.8K

657.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$178 ₹16.7K

742.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,277 ₹119.8K

192.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$516 ₹48.4K

415.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$326 ₹30.6K

63.81%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Purnia: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $122 in Purnia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 64% 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 in Phuket vs $10 in Purnia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $95 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 232% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 64% more on average, 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: $615 in Phuket versus $122 in Purnia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $50.6 in Purnia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 206% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $383 in Purnia versus $1,270 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 232% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.