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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $356 in Ratlam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $525 in Ratlam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $695 in Ratlam.

Living in Phuket is roughly 256% more expensive than in Ratlam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Ratlam 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.90 ₹182

135.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$6.83 ₹653

567.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$2.97 ₹284

194.95%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.57 ₹150

89.17%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.34 ₹32.21

102.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.16 ₹14.99

143.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.24 ₹214

12.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$5.29 ₹506

-29.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.66 ₹62.7

225.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.49 ₹46.59

271.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$0.72 ₹68.8

202.78%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$0.83 ₹79.3

171.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$4.71 ₹450

324.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.40 ₹229

51.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.38 ₹227

36.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$0.45 ₹43.15

264.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$0.95 ₹90.8

145.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$0.77 ₹73.8

168.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.17 ₹16.67

811.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.22 ₹20.92

563.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.54 ₹51.9

81.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.36 ₹34.82

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$3.41 ₹326

27.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$7.85 ₹750

136.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.54 ₹148

20.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.24 ₹214

18.30%

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

$5.58 ₹534

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.30 ₹29.04

373.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$8.76 ₹838

32.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.64 ₹60.9

395.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$1.47 ₹140

844.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.16 ₹111

15.52%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$15.2K ₹1.5M

82.45%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.5K ₹2.0M

63.17%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$29.64 ₹2,835

315.15%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$3.90 ₹373

253.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$5.64 ₹540

225.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$5.83 ₹558

940.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$6.92 ₹662

147.98%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$3.58 ₹343

147.77%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$62.2 ₹5,950

1005.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$1,118 ₹106.9K

1311.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$8.19 ₹783

624.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$9.38 ₹897

269.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$17.61 ₹1,684

554.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$28.77 ₹2,752

191.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$138 ₹13.2K

349.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$93.5 ₹8,944

376.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$174 ₹16.6K

1068.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$143 ₹13.6K

949.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$2,257 ₹215.9K

53.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$684 ₹65.4K

270.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$388 ₹37.1K

27.27%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ratlam: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $138 in Ratlam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 27% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $7.00 in Ratlam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $101 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 256% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $138 in Ratlam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $62.2 in Ratlam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 187% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $356 in Ratlam versus $1,264 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 256% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.