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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $393 in Purnia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $611 in Purnia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $829 in Purnia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 221% more expensive than Purnia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Purnia 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.38 ₹226

91.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$9.93 ₹944

369.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.48 ₹331

143.39%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.41 ₹134

114.89%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.39 ₹37.42

76.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.16 ₹15.01

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.21 ₹211

12.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.13 ₹298

16.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.65 ₹61.9

235.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.46 ₹43.84

313.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.45 ₹42.62

388.89%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.14 ₹109

94.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$3.90 ₹371

412.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.28 ₹217

60.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.35 ₹128

139.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.77 ₹72.8

120.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.10 ₹105

117.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.54 ₹51.7

285.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.32 ₹30.30

396.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.24 ₹22.95

516.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.48 ₹45.33

114.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.35 ₹32.83

48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.58 ₹246

64.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$6.24 ₹593

201.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.01 ₹191

-12.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.38 ₹226

15.97%

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

$6.71 ₹638

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.28 ₹26.56

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$8.57 ₹815

32.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.15 ₹109

173.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.34 ₹223

488.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.17 ₹111

14.53%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$15.4K ₹1.5M

79.87%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$33.0K ₹3.1M

2.71%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$44.60 ₹4,241

177.11%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$3.23 ₹308

318.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$7.50 ₹713

149.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$15.87 ₹1,509

289.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$7.10 ₹675

142.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.73 ₹355

145.04%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$49.51 ₹4,708

1319.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,891 ₹179.8K

739.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$26.79 ₹2,548

121.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$27.96 ₹2,659

25.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$43.37 ₹4,125

165.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$37.34 ₹3,551

125.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$126 ₹11.9K

392.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$75.7 ₹7,199

471.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$277 ₹26.3K

645.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$184 ₹17.5K

723.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,243 ₹118.2K

193.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$505 ₹48.0K

420.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$314 ₹29.9K

61.31%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Purnia: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $126 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $10.00 in Purnia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $94.0 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 221% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 61% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $126 in Purnia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $49.51 in Purnia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 212% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $393 in Purnia versus $1,261 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 221% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.