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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $332 in Shimla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $532 in Shimla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $732 in Shimla.

Living in Phuket is roughly 281% more expensive than in Shimla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Shimla 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.77 ₹169

153.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$5.84 ₹557

680.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.51 ₹335

149.57%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.00 ₹95.5

197.00%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.34 ₹32.46

102.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.16 ₹15.70

143.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.58 ₹151

60.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.35 ₹224

59.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.73 ₹70.0

194.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.45 ₹42.80

304.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.62 ₹59.1

251.61%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$0.92 ₹88.1

144.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$4.31 ₹411

364.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.59 ₹343

1.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.93 ₹184

67.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.69 ₹65.8

137.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.79 ₹75.8

194.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.56 ₹53.2

269.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.38 ₹36.01

307.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.43 ₹41.13

239.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.24 ₹22.92

308.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.37 ₹34.95

29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.46 ₹426

-2.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.98 ₹665

166.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.78 ₹170

4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.25 ₹215

17.78%

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

$5.68 ₹542

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.24 ₹22.99

491.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$8.93 ₹852

29.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.83 ₹78.9

281.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.18 ₹113

1077.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.18 ₹113

13.56%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$15.1K ₹1.4M

84.42%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.1K ₹1.9M

66.47%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$19.55 ₹1,864

529.41%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$3.54 ₹338

288.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$7.68 ₹733

138.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$14.43 ₹1,376

320.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$7.10 ₹677

141.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.46 ₹330

156.36%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$45.25 ₹4,315

1420.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$2,380 ₹227.0K

563.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$33.95 ₹3,238

74.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$28.04 ₹2,675

23.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$47.40 ₹4,521

143.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$29.42 ₹2,806

184.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$96.7 ₹9,225

542.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$58.7 ₹5,594

660.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$225 ₹21.4K

805.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$138 ₹13.2K

981.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$980 ₹93.4K

252.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$525 ₹50.1K

381.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$554 ₹52.8K

-10.83%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shimla: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $96.7 in Shimla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shimla pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $6.00 in Shimla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 281% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $96.7 in Shimla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $45.25 in Shimla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 181% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $332 in Shimla versus $1,264 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 281% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.