Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thanjavur Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thanjavur

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $363 in Thanjavur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $575 in Thanjavur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $786 in Thanjavur.

Living in Phuket is roughly 239% more expensive than in Thanjavur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Thanjavur 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.92 ₹184

129.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$6.34 ₹608

408.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.08 ₹391

118.87%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.74 ₹167

66.67%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.37 ₹35.53

137.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.19 ₹18.58

152.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$0.76 ₹73.0

209.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.17 ₹304

17.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.59 ₹56.6

216.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.54 ₹51.5

172.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.65 ₹62.1

138.46%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.68 ₹65.0

208.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.10 ₹586

221.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.13 ₹204

60.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.77 ₹266

7.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.77 ₹74.1

118.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.42 ₹136

55.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.43 ₹41.07

402.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.47 ₹44.85

223.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.43 ₹41.20

211.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.53 ₹51.1

113.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.29 ₹27.97

89.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.36 ₹323

26.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.46 ₹716

155.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.27 ₹122

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.70 ₹259

2.96%

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

$6.40 ₹614

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.24 ₹23.05

829.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$6.65 ₹638

241.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.06 ₹102

185.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.35 ₹33.66

191.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$2.15 ₹206

80.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.06 ₹102

40.57%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$15.4K ₹1.5M

72.84%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$20.6K ₹2.0M

31.38%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$38.67 ₹3,710

164.99%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$3.89 ₹373

191.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$7.89 ₹757

120.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$13.97 ₹1,341

272.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$6.30 ₹604

75.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$2.43 ₹233

216.46%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$91.3 ₹8,758

514.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$2,154 ₹206.6K

434.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$20.31 ₹1,948

210.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$16.52 ₹1,585

78.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$35.13 ₹3,371

179.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$26.26 ₹2,519

237.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$122 ₹11.7K

503.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$73.1 ₹7,014

559.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$263 ₹25.2K

700.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$173 ₹16.6K

608.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$890 ₹85.4K

306.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$545 ₹52.3K

377.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$209 ₹20.1K

135.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.88

-43.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Thanjavur: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $122 in Thanjavur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 136% 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 $6.00 in Thanjavur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $106 per month, with Thanjavur 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 Thanjavur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thanjavur is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 239% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 136% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $122 in Thanjavur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $91.3 in Thanjavur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 157% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $363 in Thanjavur versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Thanjavur but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Thanjavur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thanjavur 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 Thanjavur 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 Thanjavur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.