Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shillong

For one person, living is cheaper in Shillong: $402 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Shillong
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Shillong Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Shillong

🇮🇳 India

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Shillong

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 Shillong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $402 in Shillong.

Phuket $1,207
Shillong $402

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $638 in Shillong.

Phuket $2,037
Shillong $638

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $874 in Shillong.

Phuket $2,867
Shillong $874

Living in Phuket is roughly 201% more expensive than in Shillong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Shillong 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.35 ₹318

36.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$11.44 ₹1,086

183.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$4.81 ₹457

77.75%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.66 ₹157

63.86%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.41 ₹38.88

129.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.15 ₹13.94

226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.22 ₹116

112.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.49 ₹331

9.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.61 ₹57.9

185.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.31 ₹29.06

361.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$0.58 ₹55.4

163.79%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$0.92 ₹86.9

135.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$3.86 ₹366

396.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$2.43 ₹231

35.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.16 ₹205

36.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.68 ₹64.4

147.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$0.93 ₹88.4

147.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.52 ₹49.21

309.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.31 ₹29.25

393.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.35 ₹32.78

288.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.22 ₹20.90

409.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.25 ₹23.68

120.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.11 ₹485

-16.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$4.83 ₹458

276.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.28 ₹121

35.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.97 ₹187

41.62%

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

$4.78 ₹453

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$0.74 ₹70.3

293.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.28 ₹26.52

260.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.29 ₹123

196.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.09 ₹104

36.70%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$12.6K ₹1.2M

111.27%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$16.0K ₹1.5M

66.42%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$34.74 ₹3,298

186.04%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$3.29 ₹313

242.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$6.12 ₹581

183.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$9.99 ₹948

423.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$5.11 ₹486

112.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$3.10 ₹294

144.19%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$27.65 ₹2,626

1919.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$1,164 ₹110.5K

887.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$17.41 ₹1,653

261.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$22.11 ₹2,100

29.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$36.74 ₹3,489

161.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$27.45 ₹2,606

220.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$210 ₹19.9K

247.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$131 ₹12.4K

252.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$727 ₹69.0K

188.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$284 ₹26.9K

330.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$442 ₹41.9K

11.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.38

-24.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Shillong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Shillong

$131 32.5% 71.6% $329

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Shillong

$86 21.3% 68% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Shillong

$44 11% 65.5% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Shillong

$47 11.6% 62.4% $77

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Shillong

$76 19% 37% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Shillong

$16 4% 76% $51

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Shillong

$2.1 * 0.5% 94.5% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $210 in Shillong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 12% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Shillong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $86.0 per month, with Shillong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Shillong

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

05:47 5:47 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

143,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.35 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.63 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.35 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Shillong 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Shillong

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 Shillong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shillong is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 201% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $729 in Phuket versus $210 in Shillong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $27.65 in Shillong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shillong – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $402 in Shillong versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shillong but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shillong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shillong 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 Shillong 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 Shillong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.