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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $336 in Shimla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $540 in Shimla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $744 in Shimla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 276% more expensive than Shimla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Shimla 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$1.69 ₹161

169.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$5.85 ₹556

697.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.44 ₹327

146.22%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$0.95 ₹90.8

218.95%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.31 ₹29.95

122.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.17 ₹15.75

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.59 ₹151

56.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.35 ₹224

55.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.70 ₹66.1

211.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.41 ₹39.39

363.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.68 ₹64.4

223.53%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$0.93 ₹88.5

138.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$4.38 ₹417

356.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.70 ₹352

-1.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.98 ₹188

63.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.75 ₹71.7

126.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.76 ₹72.8

214.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.56 ₹52.9

271.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.37 ₹35.35

329.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.44 ₹41.53

236.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.22 ₹20.81

368.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.34 ₹32.12

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.45 ₹423

-4.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$6.73 ₹640

179.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.75 ₹166

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.32 ₹221

18.97%

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

$5.86 ₹558

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.24 ₹22.89

466.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$8.93 ₹849

27.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.79 ₹75.2

297.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.19 ₹113

1057.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.19 ₹113

12.61%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$15.0K ₹1.4M

84.16%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$19.7K ₹1.9M

72.02%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$19.70 ₹1,874

527.36%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$3.54 ₹337

281.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$7.79 ₹740

139.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$14.61 ₹1,389

323.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$7.04 ₹669

145.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.45 ₹328

164.93%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$46.45 ₹4,418

1412.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$2,348 ₹223.3K

575.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$34.14 ₹3,247

74.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$28.64 ₹2,723

22.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$47.27 ₹4,496

143.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$29.50 ₹2,805

184.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$93.2 ₹8,865

563.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$57.5 ₹5,464

652.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$225 ₹21.4K

817.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$139 ₹13.2K

986.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$958 ₹91.1K

280.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$522 ₹49.7K

402.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$546 ₹51.9K

-7.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.25

-35.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shimla: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $93.2 in Shimla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shimla pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $6.00 in Shimla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $103 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 276% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Shimla earns 8% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $93.2 in Shimla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $46.45 in Shimla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 184% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $336 in Shimla versus $1,261 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 276% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.