Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shivamogga

For one person, living is cheaper in Shivamogga: $345 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Shivamogga, India
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Shivamogga
🇮🇳 India
$345
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Shivamogga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Shivamogga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $345 in Shivamogga.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Shivamogga $345

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $568 in Shivamogga.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Shivamogga $568

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $791 in Shivamogga.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Shivamogga $791

Living in Phuket is roughly 270% more expensive than in Shivamogga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Shivamogga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$2.40 ₹228
86.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$13.83 ₹1,313
134.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$4.67 ₹443
88.65%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$0.97 ₹92.1
191.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$0.39 ₹36.84
123.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.18 ₹17.48
172.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$1.13 ₹107
126.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.59 ₹246
42.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Shivamogga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$0.51 ₹48.04
225.49%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$0.42 ₹39.98
247.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$0.70 ₹66.4
114.29%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$0.91 ₹86.5
129.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$4.04 ₹384
372.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$2.94 ₹279
12.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$1.75 ₹166
67.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$0.62 ₹58.6
172.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$0.48 ₹45.89
368.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$0.35 ₹33.48
494.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.31 ₹29.24
387.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$0.41 ₹39.34
236.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$0.22 ₹20.93
386.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.30 ₹28.82
73.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$5.12 ₹486
-17.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$6.85 ₹650
174.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$0.84 ₹79.8
116.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$2.93 ₹278
-3.07%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$4.83 ₹458
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Shivamogga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$0.15 ₹14.48
866.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.07 ₹102
182.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$0.31 ₹29.78
229.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$1.50 ₹142
146.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.08 ₹102
36.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$11.4K ₹1.1M
134.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$29.2K ₹2.8M
-8.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Shivamogga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$20.84 ₹1,978
362.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$2.49 ₹236
352.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$8.02 ₹761
110.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Shivamogga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$7.50 ₹712
796.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$2.14 ₹203
401.40%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$2.36 ₹224
217.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Shivamogga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$112 ₹10.6K
324.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$1,691 ₹160.5K
566.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Shivamogga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$31.82 ₹3,021
95.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$35.64 ₹3,383
-20.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$60.0 ₹5,692
57.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$27.71 ₹2,631
209.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Shivamogga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$160 ₹15.1K
348.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$81.9 ₹7,777
499.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$311 ₹29.5K
519.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$193 ₹18.3K
641.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Shivamogga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$335 ₹31.8K
49.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
9.12
-38.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Shivamogga: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Shivamogga
$82 83.3% $409
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Shivamogga
$89 66.7% $178
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Shivamogga
$31 74.8% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Shivamogga
$70 42.7% $52
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Shivamogga
$58 52.4% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Shivamogga
$12 85.2% $70
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Shivamogga
$3.3 * 95.4% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $160 in Shivamogga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 50% 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: $32 in Phuket vs $14 in Shivamogga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $89 per month, with Shivamogga cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇮🇳 Shivamogga
🕒 Local time
11:26 11:26 AM
09:56 9:56 AM
1 h 30 min behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
400,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.78 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Shivamogga 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Shivamogga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Shivamogga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shivamogga cheaper than Phuket?
Shivamogga is about 73% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Shivamogga?
Average pay runs 50% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Shivamogga?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $160 in Shivamogga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $112 in Shivamogga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Shivamogga?
Dining out is cheaper in Shivamogga – a meal for two runs $14 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Shivamogga?
At $345 in Shivamogga versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Shivamogga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shivamogga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Shivamogga?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Shivamogga?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Shivamogga are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Shivamogga wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?