Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sambalpur Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sambalpur

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $325 in Sambalpur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $524 in Sambalpur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $722 in Sambalpur.

Living in Phuket is roughly 285% more expensive than in Sambalpur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sambalpur 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.26 ₹218

101.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$9.19 ₹885

402.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$2.35 ₹226

276.17%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.54 ₹148

98.70%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.22 ₹21.07

231.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.16 ₹15.28

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.38 ₹133

76.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.46 ₹333

9.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.56 ₹54.3

303.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.48 ₹46.66

277.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.56 ₹53.6

301.79%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$0.94 ₹90.9

139.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$3.81 ₹366

412.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$1.73 ₹166

110.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.21 ₹213

46.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.60 ₹58.0

170.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$0.92 ₹88.3

158.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$0.28 ₹26.82

625.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.36 ₹34.40

325.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.30 ₹29.09

400.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.44 ₹42.25

122.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.30 ₹28.91

73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.19 ₹403

5.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.91 ₹762

131.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.44 ₹139

29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.95 ₹284

-9.15%

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

$6.94 ₹668

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.37 ₹35.20

281.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$5.65 ₹544

107.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.18 ₹114

163.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.29 ₹220

516.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$0.90 ₹86.6

45.56%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$9,321 ₹897.3K

198.42%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$19.7K ₹1.9M

68.38%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$37.42 ₹3,603

227.20%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$3.31 ₹319

310.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$5.71 ₹550

227.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$17.35 ₹1,670

248.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$5.87 ₹565

189.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.51 ₹338

158.40%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$29.15 ₹2,806

2323.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$2,056 ₹198.0K

668.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$23.39 ₹2,252

150.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$29.03 ₹2,794

21.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$52.7 ₹5,072

119.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$19.37 ₹1,864

332.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$64.5 ₹6,213

869.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$40.87 ₹3,934

989.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$175 ₹16.9K

1062.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$122 ₹11.8K

1120.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$586 ₹56.4K

494.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$202 ₹19.4K

1175.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$360 ₹34.6K

38.93%

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 Sambalpur: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $64.5 in Sambalpur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 39% 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 $9.00 in Sambalpur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $92.0 per month, with Sambalpur 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 Sambalpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sambalpur is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 285% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $64.5 in Sambalpur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $29.15 in Sambalpur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 214% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $325 in Sambalpur versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sambalpur but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sambalpur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sambalpur 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 Sambalpur 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 Sambalpur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 285% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.