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 $347 in Thoothukudi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $593 in Thoothukudi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $839 in Thoothukudi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 255% more expensive than Thoothukudi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Thoothukudi 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$0.97 ₹91.8

377.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$9.08 ₹862

415.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.68 ₹444

88.89%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.45 ₹137

106.90%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.46 ₹43.74

60.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.15 ₹14.70

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.71 ₹162

42.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.97 ₹282

21.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.65 ₹62.0

247.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.45 ₹43.10

308.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.65 ₹61.8

244.62%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$0.81 ₹76.8

186.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$3.74 ₹355

425.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.06 ₹290

19.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.22 ₹211

52.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.75 ₹71.3

118.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.04 ₹98.3

131.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.54 ₹51.4

275.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.49 ₹46.07

218.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.59 ₹55.8

154.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.69 ₹65.2

47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.35 ₹33.67

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.68 ₹444

-4.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.80 ₹740

142.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.24 ₹117

43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.67 ₹159

64.67%

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

$3.41 ₹324

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.60 ₹57.1

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$17.16 ₹1,629

-33.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.51 ₹47.95

511.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$1.17 ₹111

1104.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.22 ₹116

10.66%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$11.5K ₹1.1M

136.84%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.3K ₹1.5M

101.94%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$27.60 ₹2,620

352.83%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.13 ₹297

333.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$6.92 ₹657

167.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$21.10 ₹2,004

191.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$2.13 ₹202

690.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$1.73 ₹164

431.21%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$47.07 ₹4,469

1383.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$2,362 ₹224.2K

560.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$26.74 ₹2,539

116.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$20.56 ₹1,952

71.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$22.29 ₹2,116

407.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$24.98 ₹2,372

245.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$109 ₹10.3K

465.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$62.7 ₹5,956

610.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$414 ₹39.3K

394.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$236 ₹22.4K

533.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$277 ₹26.3K

88.92%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Thoothukudi: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $109 in Thoothukudi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 89% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Thoothukudi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 255% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 89% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $109 in Thoothukudi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $47.07 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 $347 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 255% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.