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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $449 in Shillong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $696 in Shillong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $944 in Shillong.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$1.39 ₹133

238.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$10.66 ₹1,020

325.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.56 ₹436

84.87%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.18 ₹113

148.31%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.36 ₹34.58

91.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.12 ₹11.42

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.43 ₹137

68.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.29 ₹315

13.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.65 ₹62.1

243.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.37 ₹34.96

394.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.52 ₹49.80

317.31%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$0.85 ₹81.6

160.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.41 ₹422

347.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.32 ₹318

9.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.85 ₹177

77.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.75 ₹72.2

114.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.92 ₹88.0

161.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.60 ₹57.6

246.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.31 ₹29.74

393.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.36 ₹34.30

311.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.37 ₹35.25

167.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.17 ₹15.88

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.08 ₹391

8.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$4.63 ₹443

318.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.53 ₹146

16.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.81 ₹268

-3.56%

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

$4.21 ₹403

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.30 ₹28.91

356.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$8.88 ₹850

28.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.76 ₹73.1

297.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$1.48 ₹141

852.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.15 ₹111

18.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

102.17%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$18.0K ₹1.7M

82.91%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$39.75 ₹3,804

206.16%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.31 ₹317

309.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$5.70 ₹546

221.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$4.59 ₹439

1211.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.93 ₹568

189.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.98 ₹286

191.61%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$32.18 ₹3,080

2054.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$1,908 ₹182.6K

722.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$25.38 ₹2,429

134.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$35.62 ₹3,409

-2.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$45.79 ₹4,381

150.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$42.26 ₹4,044

97.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$254 ₹24.3K

141.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$158 ₹15.1K

176.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$466 ₹44.6K

349.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$319 ₹30.5K

373.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$438 ₹41.9K

16.01%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Shillong: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $254 in Shillong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 16% 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 $11.00 in Shillong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $94.0 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.

Phuket pays 16% 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 $254 in Shillong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $32.18 in Shillong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 213% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $449 in Shillong versus $1,265 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.