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 $888 in Surat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $942 in Surat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $996 in Surat.

Living in Phuket is roughly 42% more expensive than Surat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Surat 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.58 ₹341

31.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$11.41 ₹1,087

297.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.42 ₹326

146.49%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.74 ₹166

68.39%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.40 ₹37.82

72.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.20 ₹19.44

85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.13 ₹298

-23.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.95 ₹377

-5.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.73 ₹69.6

205.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.53 ₹50.3

245.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.67 ₹64.3

223.88%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.03 ₹98.0

114.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$5.13 ₹489

284.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.11 ₹296

16.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.43 ₹137

129.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.64 ₹61.1

151.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.95 ₹90.8

153.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.61 ₹58.1

240.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.36 ₹34.22

325.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.44 ₹41.69

236.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.60 ₹56.9

65.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.35 ₹32.92

45.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.86 ₹368

14.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.56 ₹720

156.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.57 ₹245

-30.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$4.01 ₹382

-32.42%

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

$8.42 ₹802

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.24 ₹22.86

470.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$5.65 ₹538

101.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.97 ₹92.7

211.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$1.18 ₹113

1094.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.13 ₹108

20.35%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$11.6K ₹1.1M

143.32%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.5K ₹2.0M

53.30%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$38.31 ₹3,649

217.67%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$3.37 ₹321

302.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$7.72 ₹736

137.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$17.76 ₹1,691

239.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$6.74 ₹642

154.30%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.90 ₹276

199.66%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$48.91 ₹4,659

1317.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,294 ₹123.2K

1112.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$24.00 ₹2,286

148.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$24.62 ₹2,345

41.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$42.46 ₹4,045

169.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$42.48 ₹4,047

96.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$241 ₹23.0K

154.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$557 ₹53.1K

-21.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$506 ₹48.2K

314.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$275 ₹26.2K

449.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$693 ₹66.1K

440.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$306 ₹29.2K

754.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$327 ₹31.2K

55.20%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Surat: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $241 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $113 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 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 55% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $241 in Surat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $48.91 in Surat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 160% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $888 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 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.