Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thiruvananthapuram

For one person, living is cheaper in Thiruvananthapuram: $383 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Thiruvananthapuram
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Thiruvananthapuram Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Thiruvananthapuram

🇮🇳 India

$383

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Thiruvananthapuram

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Thiruvananthapuram actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $383 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Phuket $1,278
Thiruvananthapuram $383

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $609 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Phuket $2,216
Thiruvananthapuram $609

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $834 in Thiruvananthapuram.

Phuket $3,154
Thiruvananthapuram $834

Living in Phuket is roughly 233% more expensive than in Thiruvananthapuram, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.57 ₹244

73.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$10.35 ₹982

213.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.52 ₹334

150.28%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.84 ₹175

53.80%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.40 ₹37.65

117.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.17 ₹16.41

188.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.12 ₹201

20.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.68 ₹255

37.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.56 ₹53.4

196.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.54 ₹51.4

170.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.62 ₹58.7

141.94%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$0.88 ₹83.8

137.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.45 ₹518

249.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.82 ₹268

17.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.25 ₹214

30.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.79 ₹74.8

113.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.14 ₹108

97.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.48 ₹45.74

333.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.47 ₹44.91

221.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.46 ₹44.04

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.52 ₹49.49

105.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.28 ₹26.26

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.50 ₹427

-6.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.35 ₹508

251.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.80 ₹171

1.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.06 ₹291

-7.19%

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

$5.00 ₹474

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.12 ₹11.42

1108.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$3.00 ₹284

1788.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.75 ₹166

72.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.25 ₹23.47

308.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.62 ₹249

40.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.12 ₹106

31.25%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$11.3K ₹1.1M

137.60%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$30.4K ₹2.9M

-12.11%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$34.39 ₹3,265

180.17%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$3.32 ₹315

239.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$7.69 ₹730

119.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$14.29 ₹1,357

370.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$7.88 ₹748

36.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.13 ₹202

252.11%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$37.93 ₹3,601

1154.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$2,094 ₹198.8K

437.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$21.91 ₹2,080

184.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$18.18 ₹1,726

56.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$37.36 ₹3,547

152.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$27.31 ₹2,593

214.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$149 ₹14.2K

379.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$90.3 ₹8,573

443.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$313 ₹29.7K

515.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$204 ₹19.4K

599.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$782 ₹74.2K

434.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$513 ₹48.7K

493.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$238 ₹22.6K

110.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.31

-45.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Thiruvananthapuram: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Thiruvananthapuram

$90 23.6% 81.6% $401

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Thiruvananthapuram

$104 27.1% 60.9% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Thiruvananthapuram

$45 11.8% 63.5% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Thiruvananthapuram

$47 12.3% 61.3% $75

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Thiruvananthapuram

$71 18.6% 41.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Thiruvananthapuram

$19 4.8% 77.4% $64

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Thiruvananthapuram

$6.5 1.7% 90.8% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $149 in Thiruvananthapuram. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.1 times 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 in Phuket vs $10 in Thiruvananthapuram for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $104 per month, with Thiruvananthapuram cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Thiruvananthapuram

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

14:18 2:18 PM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

744,983

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Thiruvananthapuram 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Thiruvananthapuram

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 70% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.1 times higher, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $149 in Thiruvananthapuram. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $38 in Thiruvananthapuram. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 156% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $383 in Thiruvananthapuram versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Thiruvananthapuram gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.