Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thoothukudi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thoothukudi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $341 in Thoothukudi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $587 in Thoothukudi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $833 in Thoothukudi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 270% more expensive than in Thoothukudi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Thoothukudi 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$0.96 ₹91.9

366.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$9.15 ₹872

398.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.60 ₹439

90.43%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.41 ₹135

110.64%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.46 ₹44.26

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.15 ₹14.74

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.78 ₹170

42.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.95 ₹282

27.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.64 ₹61.0

235.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.43 ₹40.61

323.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.64 ₹60.9

240.63%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$0.76 ₹72.9

196.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$3.68 ₹351

443.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.03 ₹289

19.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.26 ₹216

43.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.72 ₹68.6

127.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.09 ₹104

113.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.54 ₹51.5

283.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.49 ₹46.27

216.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.58 ₹55.5

151.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.68 ₹64.7

44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.35 ₹33.75

37.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$4.67 ₹445

-6.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.05 ₹768

130.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.28 ₹122

45.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.68 ₹160

57.74%

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

$3.31 ₹316

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.60 ₹57.4

136.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$17.64 ₹1,683

-34.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.53 ₹50.8

498.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.13 ₹107

1129.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.24 ₹118

8.06%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$11.8K ₹1.1M

134.53%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$16.1K ₹1.5M

107.73%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$27.58 ₹2,630

346.16%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$3.18 ₹303

333.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$6.88 ₹657

166.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$21.09 ₹2,012

187.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$2.11 ₹201

713.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$1.79 ₹171

395.53%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$46.75 ₹4,458

1371.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$2,404 ₹229.3K

556.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$26.25 ₹2,503

125.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$19.96 ₹1,903

73.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$22.37 ₹2,133

414.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$25.27 ₹2,410

231.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$106 ₹10.1K

488.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$65.0 ₹6,195

586.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$415 ₹39.6K

390.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$236 ₹22.5K

533.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$274 ₹26.1K

80.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.5

-37.29%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Thoothukudi: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $106 in Thoothukudi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 80% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Thoothukudi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $101 per month, with Thoothukudi 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 Thoothukudi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thoothukudi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 270% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 80% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $106 in Thoothukudi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $46.75 in Thoothukudi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 189% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $341 in Thoothukudi versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Thoothukudi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Thoothukudi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thoothukudi 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 Thoothukudi 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 Thoothukudi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 270% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.