Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rourkela

For one person, living is cheaper in Rourkela: $305 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Rourkela
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Rourkela Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Rourkela

🇮🇳 India

$305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Rourkela

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Rourkela actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $305 in Rourkela.

Phuket $1,278
Rourkela $305

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $531 in Rourkela.

Phuket $2,216
Rourkela $531

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $758 in Rourkela.

Phuket $3,154
Rourkela $758

Living in Phuket is roughly 319% more expensive than in Rourkela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Rourkela 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.62 ₹155

175.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$10.39 ₹989

211.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.15 ₹395

112.29%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$1.38 ₹132

105.07%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.25 ₹23.72

248.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.16 ₹14.81

206.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$1.55 ₹148

65.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.08 ₹293

19.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.48 ₹45.35

245.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$0.39 ₹36.76

274.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.37 ₹35.25

305.41%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$0.82 ₹78.2

154.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$2.62 ₹249

627.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.67 ₹254

23.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$1.54 ₹147

90.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$0.69 ₹65.5

144.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$0.62 ₹58.9

262.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.28 ₹26.62

642.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.25 ₹23.84

504.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.24 ₹22.96

475.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.49 ₹46.20

118.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.33 ₹30.96

57.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.12 ₹487

-17.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$7.99 ₹760

135.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.87 ₹178

-2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.52 ₹240

12.70%

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

$6.96 ₹663

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.16 ₹15.53

806.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$7.71 ₹734

634.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.03 ₹98.3

193.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.20 ₹19.04

410.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$2.06 ₹197

79.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.10 ₹105

33.64%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$9,608 ₹914.8K

178.69%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$15.7K ₹1.5M

70.52%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$23.19 ₹2,208

315.48%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$3.35 ₹319

236.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$6.71 ₹639

151.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$14.33 ₹1,364

369.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$6.14 ₹585

74.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.22 ₹307

132.92%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$76.4 ₹7,276

522.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$2,320 ₹220.9K

385.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$23.65 ₹2,251

163.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$26.17 ₹2,491

8.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$36.51 ₹3,476

158.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$32.64 ₹3,108

162.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$123 ₹11.7K

483.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$42.07 ₹4,006

1066.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$263 ₹25.1K

631.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$188 ₹17.9K

661.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$881 ₹83.9K

373.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$478 ₹45.5K

536.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$832 ₹79.2K

-39.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.17

-39.26%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rourkela: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Rourkela

$42 13.8% 91.4% $449

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Rourkela

$88 28.7% 67% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Rourkela

$33 10.9% 73.3% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Rourkela

$54 17.5% 56.1% $68

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Rourkela

$58 18.9% 52.7% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Rourkela

$21 6.8% 74.7% $61

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Rourkela

$10 3.4% 85.3% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $123 in Rourkela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rourkela pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $10 in Rourkela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $88 per month, with Rourkela cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Rourkela

🕒 Local time

10:08 10:08 AM

08:38 8:38 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

210,300

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.5 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 95.21 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Rourkela 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Rourkela

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 76% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $123 in Rourkela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $76 in Rourkela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 203% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $305 in Rourkela versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Rourkela are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Rourkela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.