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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $322 in Sambalpur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $530 in Sambalpur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $738 in Sambalpur.

Living in Phuket is roughly 293% more expensive than Sambalpur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.35 ₹224

100.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$8.88 ₹846

410.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$2.39 ₹227

252.72%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.51 ₹144

94.04%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.24 ₹23.00

187.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.17 ₹15.96

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.38 ₹131

74.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.47 ₹330

7.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.61 ₹57.9

265.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.48 ₹45.96

281.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.57 ₹53.9

280.70%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.01 ₹95.9

118.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$3.67 ₹349

437.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$1.77 ₹169

105.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.19 ₹208

49.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.55 ₹52.7

192.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.89 ₹84.7

170.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.30 ₹28.64

593.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.36 ₹34.05

325.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.28 ₹26.29

428.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.43 ₹41.03

130.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.30 ₹28.67

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.04 ₹385

9.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.01 ₹763

141.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.44 ₹137

23.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.93 ₹279

-7.51%

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

$7.03 ₹669

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.39 ₹37.34

251.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$5.95 ₹566

91.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.19 ₹114

153.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.36 ₹225

497.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.91 ₹86.5

49.45%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$9,257 ₹881.8K

204.66%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.5K ₹1.9M

69.05%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$37.67 ₹3,588

223.07%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$3.22 ₹307

321.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$5.67 ₹540

222.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$17.30 ₹1,648

248.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.79 ₹551

196.03%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.53 ₹336

146.18%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$28.98 ₹2,761

2292.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$2,004 ₹190.9K

682.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$22.95 ₹2,186

159.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$29.28 ₹2,789

18.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$52.3 ₹4,983

119.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$19.26 ₹1,834

332.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$64.3 ₹6,120

854.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$40.03 ₹3,813

991.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$177 ₹16.9K

1081.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$124 ₹11.8K

1117.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$598 ₹57.0K

527.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$199 ₹19.0K

1214.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$364 ₹34.7K

39.66%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sambalpur: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $64.3 in Sambalpur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 40% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Sambalpur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 293% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 40% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $64.3 in Sambalpur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $28.98 in Sambalpur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 217% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $322 in Sambalpur versus $1,265 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 293% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.