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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $352 in Ratlam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $522 in Ratlam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $691 in Ratlam.

Living in Phuket is roughly 261% more expensive than Ratlam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Ratlam 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$1.96 ₹184

137.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$6.80 ₹638

582.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$2.95 ₹277

194.24%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.58 ₹148

86.71%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.36 ₹33.99

94.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.13 ₹12.42

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.19 ₹206

15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$5.30 ₹497

-28.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$0.62 ₹58.2

258.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.48 ₹45.09

275.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$0.72 ₹67.5

204.17%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$0.82 ₹77.0

181.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$4.90 ₹460

294.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$2.31 ₹217

63.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.36 ₹222

41.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$0.45 ₹42.39

266.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.01 ₹94.8

126.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$0.80 ₹74.9

148.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.16 ₹14.95

856.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.22 ₹20.51

586.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.50 ₹46.76

106.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.34 ₹31.71

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$3.57 ₹335

23.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$5.19 ₹487

273.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.61 ₹151

11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.24 ₹210

19.64%

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

$5.64 ₹530

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.28 ₹26.01

410.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$8.62 ₹809

35.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.70 ₹65.9

334.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$1.49 ₹140

818.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.18 ₹111

10.17%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$15.3K ₹1.4M

81.95%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$19.9K ₹1.9M

65.63%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$28.76 ₹2,700

327.57%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$3.96 ₹371

248.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$5.89 ₹553

220.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$5.91 ₹555

934.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$6.90 ₹648

143.62%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$3.42 ₹321

159.36%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$62.3 ₹5,849

1017.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$1,092 ₹102.5K

1370.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$7.91 ₹743

649.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$9.39 ₹881

271.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$17.64 ₹1,656

541.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$29.04 ₹2,726

192.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$136 ₹12.7K

353.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$92.2 ₹8,655

386.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$175 ₹16.4K

1094.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$144 ₹13.5K

942.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$969 ₹91.0K

285.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$517 ₹48.5K

415.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$401 ₹37.6K

33.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.1

-41.43%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ratlam: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $136 in Ratlam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 33% 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 $7 in Ratlam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $96 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 261% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 33% 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 $136 in Ratlam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $62.3 in Ratlam. 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 $352 in Ratlam versus $1,270 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 261% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.