Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shimla Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shimla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $307 in Shimla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $509 in Shimla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $711 in Shimla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 301% more expensive than in Shimla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Shimla 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.55 ₹149

184.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$5.28 ₹506

510.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$3.11 ₹298

187.14%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$0.88 ₹84.7

229.55%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.38 ₹36.73

131.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.10 ₹9.30

380.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.56 ₹150

50.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.14 ₹205

73.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.63 ₹60.4

196.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.37 ₹35.50

297.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.59 ₹56.4

162.71%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.84 ₹80.6

150.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$4.13 ₹396

374.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.22 ₹309

6.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.78 ₹171

67.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.74 ₹71.5

127.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.68 ₹65.0

225.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.45 ₹43.04

380.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.30 ₹28.86

406.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.33 ₹32.03

306.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.20 ₹19.14

465.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.27 ₹25.68

103.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.38 ₹325

26.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.29 ₹795

130.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.53 ₹147

16.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.09 ₹201

33.01%

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

$3.79 ₹364

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.22 ₹21.11

913.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$7.98 ₹766

184.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.03 ₹98.6

194.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.30 ₹28.67

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.02 ₹97.4

281.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.04 ₹99.9

43.27%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$8,478 ₹813.4K

213.54%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$17.9K ₹1.7M

50.95%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$18.06 ₹1,733

467.39%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$3.05 ₹292

271.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$6.63 ₹636

162.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$13.95 ₹1,339

273.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$10.41 ₹999

6.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.21 ₹308

139.56%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$40.67 ₹3,902

1278.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$2,112 ₹202.6K

444.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$25.35 ₹2,432

148.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$21.99 ₹2,110

34.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$38.43 ₹3,687

155.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$26.27 ₹2,520

236.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$85.7 ₹8,221

761.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$52.2 ₹5,007

824.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$202 ₹19.3K

944.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$170 ₹16.3K

622.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$980 ₹94.0K

268.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$496 ₹47.6K

424.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$622 ₹59.7K

-20.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.25

-32.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Shimla: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $85.7 in Shimla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shimla pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $5.00 in Shimla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $97.0 per month, with Shimla 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 Shimla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shimla is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 301% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Shimla. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $85.7 in Shimla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $40.67 in Shimla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 183% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $307 in Shimla versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shimla but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shimla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shimla 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 Shimla 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 Shimla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 301% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.