Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thiruvananthapuram Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thiruvananthapuram

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $382 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $604 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $827 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Living in Phuket is roughly 231% more expensive than Thiruvananthapuram, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Thiruvananthapuram 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.27 ₹218

107.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$13.73 ₹1,315

230.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.31 ₹413

95.59%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.80 ₹172

62.78%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.33 ₹32.00

109.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.23 ₹22.04

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.71 ₹164

40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.47 ₹332

7.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.60 ₹57.2

271.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.54 ₹51.6

238.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.63 ₹60.7

244.44%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$0.99 ₹95.1

123.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$5.93 ₹568

232.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.40 ₹230

51.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.42 ₹231

35.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.71 ₹68.3

126.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.27 ₹122

89.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.58 ₹55.6

258.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.52 ₹49.75

194.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.61 ₹58.4

142.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.51 ₹48.81

94.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.30 ₹29.08

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.59 ₹344

22.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.70 ₹641

189.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.48 ₹142

20.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.81 ₹269

-3.56%

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

$4.82 ₹462

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.17 ₹15.89

705.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$6.36 ₹609

79.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.96 ₹91.5

214.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$1.79 ₹171

687.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.24 ₹119

9.68%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$18.9K ₹1.8M

49.05%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.5K ₹2.1M

53.18%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$28.02 ₹2,684

334.33%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$3.39 ₹324

300.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$7.98 ₹764

129.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$16.57 ₹1,587

263.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$11.88 ₹1,137

44.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.35 ₹225

269.79%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$30.59 ₹2,929

2166.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,959 ₹187.6K

700.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$18.05 ₹1,729

229.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$15.97 ₹1,530

117.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$33.82 ₹3,239

238.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$22.06 ₹2,113

277.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$144 ₹13.8K

326.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$89.9 ₹8,609

386.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$281 ₹26.9K

645.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$173 ₹16.6K

771.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$678 ₹64.9K

453.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$428 ₹41.0K

511.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$241 ₹23.1K

110.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-55.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Thiruvananthapuram: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $144 in Thiruvananthapuram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 111% 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 $14.00 in Thiruvananthapuram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $107 per month, with Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thiruvananthapuram is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 231% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 111% 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 $144 in Thiruvananthapuram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $30.59 in Thiruvananthapuram. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 174% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $382 in Thiruvananthapuram versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Thiruvananthapuram but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Thiruvananthapuram the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram 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 Thiruvananthapuram gentler on the wallet – expenses run 231% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.