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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $810 in Surat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $850 in Surat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $890 in Surat.

Living in Phuket is roughly 56% more expensive than in Surat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Surat 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.14 ₹300

48.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$10.65 ₹1,018

202.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$3.24 ₹310

167.90%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.82 ₹174

59.34%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.35 ₹33.40

140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.15 ₹14.72

226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.99 ₹286

-17.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.12 ₹298

19.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.70 ₹67.1

170.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.48 ₹45.51

193.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.66 ₹62.7

145.45%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$0.91 ₹87.1

146.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$4.66 ₹445

325.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.87 ₹274

21.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.74 ₹166

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.63 ₹60.0

173.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.79 ₹75.3

187.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.58 ₹55.0

267.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.36 ₹34.33

308.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.44 ₹41.64

222.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.49 ₹46.89

124.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.30 ₹28.57

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$5.15 ₹492

-16.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$7.52 ₹718

147.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.84 ₹176

-2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$3.16 ₹302

-6.01%

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

$6.10 ₹583

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.25 ₹23.93

800.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$5.43 ₹518

332.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.51 ₹48.79

507.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.20 ₹19.10

440.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$1.08 ₹103

258.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.12 ₹107

27.68%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$12.0K ₹1.1M

131.95%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$18.9K ₹1.8M

42.61%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$37.30 ₹3,564

180.97%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$3.69 ₹353

208.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$7.26 ₹694

141.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$18.83 ₹1,799

188.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$5.23 ₹499

118.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$2.98 ₹285

161.07%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$33.20 ₹3,172

1636.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$902 ₹86.2K

1184.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$22.84 ₹2,182

178.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$25.27 ₹2,414

15.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$40.92 ₹3,910

135.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$32.45 ₹3,100

177.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$225 ₹21.5K

226.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$511 ₹48.8K

-2.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$385 ₹36.8K

452.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$202 ₹19.3K

518.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$670 ₹64.0K

427.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$311 ₹29.7K

743.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$314 ₹30.0K

61.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.17

-39.26%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Surat: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $225 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 62% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $103 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, Getting Around. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 62% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $225 in Surat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $33.20 in Surat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 167% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $810 in Surat versus $1,265 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 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.