Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shillong Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shillong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $443 in Shillong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $684 in Shillong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $924 in Shillong.

Living in Phuket is roughly 182% more expensive than in Shillong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Shillong 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$1.43 ₹138

218.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,550

$10.30 ₹992

348.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.71 ₹454

87.69%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.22 ₹118

150.82%

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

$0.73 ฿24.36

$0.36 ₹34.74

102.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.37

$0.14 ₹13.19

185.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.6

$1.43 ₹138

69.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.28 ₹316

15.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿75.8

$0.61 ₹58.7

270.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$0.36 ₹35.09

402.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$0.52 ₹50.1

332.69%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.4

$0.82 ₹79.2

174.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿655

$4.43 ₹427

340.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿122

$3.31 ₹319

10.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿438

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.93 ₹186

67.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$0.75 ₹71.8

116.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.0

$0.97 ₹93.5

145.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.0

$0.55 ₹53.3

269.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$0.29 ₹27.52

427.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.36 ₹34.64

316.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$0.37 ₹35.51

164.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.36

$0.18 ₹17.51

188.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.13 ₹398

7.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿615

$4.75 ₹457

285.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.49 ₹143

24.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.0

$2.78 ₹267

-3.60%

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

$4.36 ₹419

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.37

$0.30 ₹29.21

370.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$8.48 ₹816

37.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿104

$0.80 ₹77.1

288.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$1.43 ₹138

886.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.02

$1.19 ₹115

10.08%

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$13.7K ₹1.3M

103.03%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.7K ₹1.7M

87.24%

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

$122 ฿4,110

$40.08 ₹3,859

205.49%

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

$13.59 ฿456

$3.44 ₹331

295.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿628

$5.68 ₹547

229.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,031

$4.53 ₹436

1235.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

$5.89 ₹567

188.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.87 ₹276

216.03%

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

$706 ฿23.7K

$32.21 ₹3,101

2093.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.5K

$1,919 ₹184.8K

723.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,965

$25.14 ₹2,420

132.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,187

$35.50 ₹3,418

-0.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,876

$46.95 ₹4,520

145.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,811

$42.64 ₹4,105

96.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$253 ₹24.4K

146.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.9K

$156 ₹15.0K

184.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.5K

$464 ₹44.7K

339.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.1K

$318 ₹30.6K

369.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$441 ₹42.5K

13.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.38

-27.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Shillong: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $253 in Shillong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 13% 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 $10.00 in Shillong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $93.0 per month, with Shillong 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 Shillong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shillong is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 182% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% 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 $253 in Shillong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $32.21 in Shillong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 209% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $443 in Shillong versus $1,250 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 182% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.