Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rourkela Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rourkela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $329 in Rourkela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $555 in Rourkela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $781 in Rourkela.

Living in Phuket is roughly 280% more expensive than in Rourkela, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Rourkela 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$1.72 ₹166

164.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$8.77 ₹845

426.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.51 ₹435

96.01%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.51 ₹145

102.65%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.30 ₹29.17

143.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.16 ₹15.14

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.74 ₹168

39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.46 ₹333

9.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.58 ₹55.7

289.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.39 ₹38.00

364.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.41 ₹39.84

448.78%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$0.91 ₹87.7

147.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$2.93 ₹283

565.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.78 ₹268

31.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.77 ₹170

82.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.75 ₹72.4

116.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.67 ₹64.7

255.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.33 ₹32.04

515.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.27 ₹26.24

466.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.27 ₹26.31

455.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.43 ₹41.84

127.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.36 ₹34.27

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.18 ₹404

6.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.94 ₹766

130.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.10 ₹203

-11.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$3.06 ₹295

-12.42%

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

$9.04 ₹872

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.15 ₹14.16

840.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$8.54 ₹824

37.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.15 ₹111

170.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.38 ₹229

492.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.20 ₹116

9.17%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$10.6K ₹1.0M

162.90%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.2K ₹1.7M

93.45%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$26.51 ₹2,556

361.86%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$3.28 ₹316

314.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$8.68 ₹837

115.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$15.95 ₹1,538

279.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$7.16 ₹690

137.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.54 ₹341

156.21%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$83.3 ₹8,035

747.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$2,063 ₹198.9K

666.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$25.85 ₹2,493

126.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.54 ₹2,849

19.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$40.90 ₹3,944

182.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$32.26 ₹3,111

159.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$123 ₹11.8K

410.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$47.15 ₹4,547

844.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$274 ₹26.4K

644.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$182 ₹17.6K

718.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,079 ₹104.1K

222.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$453 ₹43.6K

469.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$823 ₹79.4K

-39.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.33

-36.01%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Rourkela: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $123 in Rourkela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rourkela pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Rourkela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $95.0 per month, with Rourkela 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 Rourkela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rourkela is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 280% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Rourkela. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $123 in Rourkela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $83.3 in Rourkela. 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 $329 in Rourkela versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rourkela but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rourkela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rourkela 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 Rourkela 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 Rourkela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 280% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.