Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surat Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $913 in Surat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $951 in Surat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $989 in Surat.

Living in Phuket is roughly 37% more expensive than in Surat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Surat 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.57 ₹344

27.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,550

$11.68 ₹1,125

295.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.41 ₹329

159.24%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.70 ₹164

80.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.36

$0.42 ₹40.54

73.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.37

$0.17 ₹16.79

135.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.6

$3.29 ₹317

-26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.13 ₹397

-8.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿75.8

$0.74 ₹71.5

205.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$0.53 ₹50.9

241.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$0.67 ₹65.0

235.82%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.4

$0.99 ₹95.1

127.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿655

$5.14 ₹495

279.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿122

$3.23 ₹311

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿438

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.50 ₹144

115.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$0.65 ₹62.6

149.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.0

$0.96 ₹92.7

147.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.0

$0.67 ₹64.7

202.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$0.36 ₹34.27

325.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.40 ₹38.42

275.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$0.55 ₹52.9

78.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.36

$0.34 ₹32.88

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.89 ₹374

14.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿615

$7.72 ₹743

137.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$2.68 ₹258

-30.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.0

$4.08 ₹393

-34.31%

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

$8.53 ₹821

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.37

$0.22 ₹21.11

540.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$5.97 ₹574

95.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿104

$0.95 ₹91.4

227.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$1.15 ₹111

1126.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.02

$1.19 ₹114

10.08%

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$11.7K ₹1.1M

138.28%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$21.6K ₹2.1M

53.46%

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

$122 ฿4,110

$37.81 ₹3,641

223.83%

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

$13.59 ฿456

$3.36 ₹323

304.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿628

$7.79 ₹750

140.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,031

$17.98 ₹1,731

236.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

$6.72 ₹647

152.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.87 ₹276

216.03%

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

$706 ฿23.7K

$48.12 ₹4,633

1367.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.5K

$1,299 ₹125.1K

1116.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,965

$23.93 ₹2,304

144.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,187

$24.85 ₹2,393

42.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,876

$42.24 ₹4,067

173.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,811

$42.05 ₹4,049

99.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$243 ₹23.4K

157.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.9K

$556 ₹53.6K

-19.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.5K

$495 ₹47.7K

312.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.1K

$278 ₹26.8K

436.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

$697 ₹67.1K

399.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

$307 ₹29.6K

739.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$323 ₹31.1K

54.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.2

-42.07%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Surat: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $243 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 55% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $115 per month, with Surat 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 Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surat is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 55% higher in Phuket, 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: $626 in Phuket versus $243 in Surat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $48.12 in Surat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 152% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $913 in Surat versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Surat but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Surat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surat 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 Surat 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 Surat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.