Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ratlam Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ratlam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $323 in Ratlam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $472 in Ratlam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $621 in Ratlam.

Living in Phuket is roughly 291% more expensive than in Ratlam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ratlam 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$2.12 ₹203

119.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$6.16 ₹589

423.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$2.70 ₹258

221.48%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.49 ₹142

94.63%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.36 ₹33.95

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.14 ₹13.00

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.06 ₹196

20.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.12 ₹298

19.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.63 ₹59.7

200.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.43 ₹41.37

227.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.70 ₹66.5

131.43%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$0.92 ₹88.2

143.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$5.10 ₹487

289.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.05 ₹196

69.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.14 ₹204

35.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.41 ₹39.10

319.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.99 ₹95.1

129.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.41 ₹38.88

419.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.17 ₹16.38

764.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.22 ₹21.03

545.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.22 ₹21.06

400.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.33 ₹31.56

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.68 ₹256

60.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$7.68 ₹734

142.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.58 ₹151

13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.61 ₹249

13.79%

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

$5.46 ₹522

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.76 ₹73.0

307.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.18 ₹17.03

500.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$1.30 ₹124

197.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.10 ₹105

30.00%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$21.4K ₹2.0M

29.88%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$23.1K ₹2.2M

16.65%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$26.97 ₹2,576

288.58%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$4.32 ₹413

163.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$5.36 ₹512

227.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$5.38 ₹514

910.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$3.19 ₹305

143.89%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$67.9 ₹6,484

749.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$999 ₹95.4K

1059.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$7.59 ₹725

738.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$8.68 ₹829

235.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$15.81 ₹1,510

508.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$26.69 ₹2,550

237.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$123 ₹11.7K

496.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$83.7 ₹7,992

498.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$158 ₹15.1K

1248.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$130 ₹12.4K

864.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,301 ₹219.8K

53.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$682 ₹65.2K

284.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$387 ₹36.9K

31.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.73

-36.20%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ratlam: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $123 in Ratlam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 31% 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 $6.00 in Ratlam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $96.0 per month, with Ratlam 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 Ratlam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratlam is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 291% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% 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 $123 in Ratlam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $67.9 in Ratlam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ratlam – a meal for two runs $6.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $323 in Ratlam versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ratlam but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ratlam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ratlam 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 Ratlam 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 Ratlam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 291% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.