Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thoothukudi

For one person, living is cheaper in Thoothukudi: $325 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
16

Cost of Living Index in Thoothukudi
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Thoothukudi Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Thoothukudi

🇮🇳 India

$325

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Thoothukudi

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 Thoothukudi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $325 in Thoothukudi.

Phuket $1,278
Thoothukudi $325

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $549 in Thoothukudi.

Phuket $2,216
Thoothukudi $549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $774 in Thoothukudi.

Phuket $3,154
Thoothukudi $774

Living in Phuket is roughly 293% more expensive than in Thoothukudi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Thoothukudi 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.22 ₹116

266.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$8.57 ₹813

278.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.78 ₹359

133.07%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.35 ₹129

109.63%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.43 ₹40.43

102.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.14 ₹13.05

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.68 ₹160

52.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.13 ₹202

72.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.61 ₹58.2

172.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.41 ₹38.83

256.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.57 ₹54.4

163.16%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$0.68 ₹64.5

207.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$3.35 ₹318

469.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.69 ₹255

22.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.05 ₹195

42.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.70 ₹66.6

141.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.05 ₹99.8

114.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.48 ₹45.66

333.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.37 ₹34.82

308.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.47 ₹44.36

193.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.52 ₹49.78

105.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.31 ₹29.53

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.98 ₹473

-15.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$7.77 ₹738

141.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.14 ₹108

59.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.48 ₹141

91.89%

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

$3.06 ₹291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.50 ₹47.94

190.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$15.79 ₹1,499

258.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.51 ₹48.77

492.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.15 ₹14.13

580.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.18 ₹112

212.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.14 ₹108

28.95%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$10.5K ₹996.6K

155.08%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$14.5K ₹1.4M

84.10%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$32.38 ₹3,074

197.56%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$3.09 ₹293

264.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$6.84 ₹649

146.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$18.69 ₹1,775

259.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$1.84 ₹174

483.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$1.57 ₹149

377.71%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$41.53 ₹3,943

1045.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$1,897 ₹180.1K

493.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$25.58 ₹2,428

143.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$17.38 ₹1,650

63.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$19.89 ₹1,889

374.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$26.57 ₹2,523

222.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$97.9 ₹9,299

630.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$57.7 ₹5,476

751.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$371 ₹35.2K

419.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$214 ₹20.3K

569.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$279 ₹26.5K

80.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.6

-35.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Thoothukudi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Thoothukudi

$58 17.7% 88.3% $433

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Thoothukudi

$92 28.3% 65.5% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Thoothukudi

$42 13% 66% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Thoothukudi

$40 12.4% 67% $82

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Thoothukudi

$52 16.1% 57% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Thoothukudi

$22 6.7% 73.5% $60

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Thoothukudi

$19 5.9% 73% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $98 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: $32 in Phuket vs $9 in Thoothukudi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $92 per month, with Thoothukudi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Thoothukudi

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

10:00 10:00 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

100,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 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 = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 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 = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Thoothukudi 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Thoothukudi

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 Thoothukudi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thoothukudi is about 75% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference 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: $716 in Phuket versus $98 in Thoothukudi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $42 in Thoothukudi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 190% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $325 in Thoothukudi versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Thoothukudi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.