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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $352 in Ratlam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $514 in Ratlam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $676 in Ratlam.

Living in Phuket is roughly 259% more expensive than Ratlam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ratlam 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$1.94 ₹185

135.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,536

$7.06 ₹673

560.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$2.90 ₹276

192.07%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$1.58 ₹150

91.77%

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

$0.69 ฿22.71

$0.33 ₹31.87

109.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.05

$0.17 ₹16.15

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿82.0

$2.28 ₹217

9.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿121

$5.15 ₹491

-28.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.9

$0.60 ₹57.3

263.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.7

$0.45 ₹42.86

322.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$0.66 ₹63.1

233.33%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$0.88 ₹83.9

152.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿659

$4.73 ₹451

322.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$2.39 ₹227

53.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿437

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿107

$2.33 ₹222

38.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$0.45 ₹43.21

277.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.9

$0.97 ₹92.1

146.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.5

$0.82 ₹78.3

153.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.5

$0.17 ₹16.55

835.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.87

$0.22 ₹20.95

572.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.93

$0.54 ₹51.1

90.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.03

$0.36 ₹34.74

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$3.39 ₹323

25.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿619

$7.87 ₹750

138.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.9

$1.52 ₹145

15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$2.13 ₹203

29.58%

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

$5.74 ₹547

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.83

$0.30 ₹28.96

353.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$8.67 ₹826

31.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿104

$0.69 ₹66.0

355.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿454

$1.48 ₹141

830.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.30

$1.20 ₹114

11.67%

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

$27.7K ฿912.0K

$15.4K ₹1.5M

79.91%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.2K ₹1.9M

67.28%

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

$124 ฿4,072

$28.65 ₹2,729

331.38%

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

$13.52 ฿446

$3.88 ₹369

248.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿616

$5.70 ₹543

227.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,037

$5.86 ₹558

954.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$6.82 ₹650

152.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$3.58 ₹341

155.31%

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

$703 ฿23.2K

$63.4 ₹6,041

1007.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿523.0K

$1,084 ₹103.3K

1363.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,959

$8.24 ₹785

621.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,156

$9.07 ₹864

286.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,798

$17.56 ₹1,672

556.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,769

$29.53 ₹2,813

184.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$134 ₹12.8K

360.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.3K

$92.0 ₹8,761

370.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$174 ₹16.6K

1082.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.8K

$148 ₹14.1K

923.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.1K

$2,270 ₹216.2K

60.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.5K

$669 ₹63.7K

292.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$386 ₹36.7K

31.48%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ratlam: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $134 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $7.00 in Ratlam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $100 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 259% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 31% 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 $134 in Ratlam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $63.4 in Ratlam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 192% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $352 in Ratlam versus $1,261 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 259% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.