Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tenali Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tenali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $351 in Tenali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $520 in Tenali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $688 in Tenali.

Living in Phuket is roughly 259% more expensive than in Tenali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tenali 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$2.07 ₹198

114.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$5.21 ₹498

573.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$5.20 ₹498

72.31%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.15 ₹206

39.53%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.50 ₹47.90

54.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.09 ₹8.67

422.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.06 ₹197

16.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$4.29 ₹411

-12.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$0.68 ₹64.6

167.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$0.41 ₹39.19

246.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$0.60 ₹57.5

158.33%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$0.73 ₹70.3

191.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$5.09 ₹487

288.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$2.31 ₹222

50.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.69 ₹162

72.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$0.63 ₹60.0

163.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$0.79 ₹75.8

187.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$0.45 ₹42.85

366.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.41 ₹39.68

258.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$0.34 ₹32.94

314.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.46 ₹44.19

136.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.25 ₹23.74

116.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$2.11 ₹202

112.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$8.72 ₹835

114.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.67 ₹160

10.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$2.71 ₹259

8.86%

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

$5.31 ₹508

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.35 ₹33.69

545.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$7.37 ₹705

213.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.64 ₹61.4

375.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.35 ₹33.94

211.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$1.17 ₹112

226.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.08 ₹103

37.96%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$15.8K ₹1.5M

74.12%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$23.6K ₹2.3M

16.81%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$39.91 ₹3,820

155.10%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$2.73 ₹262

313.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$6.37 ₹610

178.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$7.51 ₹719

621.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$10.34 ₹989

6.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$2.12 ₹203

270.28%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$15.83 ₹1,515

3545.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$2,718 ₹260.1K

327.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$13.28 ₹1,271

392.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$18.44 ₹1,765

56.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$28.45 ₹2,723

248.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$18.35 ₹1,756

391.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$79.2 ₹7,580

853.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$63.2 ₹6,049

670.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$166 ₹15.9K

1152.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$121 ₹11.6K

896.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$835 ₹79.9K

330.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$542 ₹51.9K

381.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$366 ₹35.0K

37.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Tenali: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $79.2 in Tenali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 37% 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: $35.00 in Phuket vs $5.00 in Tenali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $99.0 per month, with Tenali 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 Tenali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tenali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 259% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 37% 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: $756 in Phuket versus $79.2 in Tenali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $15.83 in Tenali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 175% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $351 in Tenali versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tenali but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tenali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tenali 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 Tenali 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 Tenali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 259% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.