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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $323 in Thoothukudi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $545 in Thoothukudi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $767 in Thoothukudi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 281% more expensive than in Thoothukudi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Thoothukudi 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.17 ₹113

276.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$8.28 ₹794

289.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$3.68 ₹353

142.66%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.29 ₹124

124.81%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.40 ₹38.13

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.13 ₹11.99

269.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.68 ₹161

39.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.11 ₹203

76.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.64 ₹61.7

192.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.38 ₹36.30

286.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.63 ₹60.4

146.03%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.74 ₹70.8

183.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$3.33 ₹319

488.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.77 ₹266

23.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.02 ₹194

47.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.70 ₹67.2

140.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.05 ₹101

110.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.45 ₹42.87

380.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.35 ₹33.83

334.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.47 ₹45.11

185.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.52 ₹50.3

117.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.29 ₹27.65

89.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.14 ₹493

-17.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.95 ₹762

140.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.13 ₹109

57.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.47 ₹141

89.12%

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

$3.01 ₹289

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.50 ₹48.39

346.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$15.37 ₹1,475

47.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.54 ₹51.9

461.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.14 ₹13.15

628.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.14 ₹109

241.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.12 ₹107

33.04%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$10.2K ₹982.3K

159.63%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$14.7K ₹1.4M

84.25%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$32.20 ₹3,089

218.23%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$3.04 ₹292

272.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$6.90 ₹662

152.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$18.70 ₹1,794

178.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$1.86 ₹178

495.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$1.54 ₹148

399.35%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$41.05 ₹3,939

1265.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$1,839 ₹176.5K

525.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$25.74 ₹2,470

144.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$17.46 ₹1,675

69.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$19.74 ₹1,893

396.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$26.46 ₹2,538

234.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$96.7 ₹9,281

663.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$58.0 ₹5,563

731.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$360 ₹34.6K

484.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$206 ₹19.8K

495.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$273 ₹26.2K

80.75%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Thoothukudi: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $96.7 in Thoothukudi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 81% 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 $8.00 in Thoothukudi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $92.0 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, Getting Around. The 281% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 81% 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 $96.7 in Thoothukudi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $41.05 in Thoothukudi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 196% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $323 in Thoothukudi versus $1,232 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 281% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.