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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $345 in Thoothukudi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $583 in Thoothukudi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $821 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

$4.51 ฿147

$0.90 ₹85.1

401.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$9.06 ₹857

414.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$4.79 ₹453

77.24%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.42 ₹134

116.90%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.46 ₹43.59

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.15 ₹14.55

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.77 ₹167

37.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.83 ₹268

28.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$0.70 ₹65.8

212.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.42 ₹39.66

330.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.60 ₹56.9

271.67%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$0.83 ₹78.2

169.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$3.75 ₹355

422.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$3.00 ₹284

24.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.19 ₹208

53.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$0.76 ₹71.4

113.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.03 ₹97.8

133.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$0.53 ₹50.2

275.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.49 ₹46.26

212.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.55 ₹52.4

163.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.69 ₹65.3

46.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.33 ₹30.82

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$4.62 ₹438

-7.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$8.02 ₹759

138.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.27 ₹120

44.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.67 ₹158

64.07%

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

$3.47 ₹328

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.57 ₹53.9

149.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$17.33 ₹1,640

-32.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.50 ₹47.27

500.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$1.14 ₹108

1119.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.19 ₹112

8.40%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$11.6K ₹1.1M

142.34%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$16.6K ₹1.6M

101.98%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$27.40 ₹2,592

345.18%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$3.06 ₹290

355.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$7.10 ₹672

165.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$20.71 ₹1,959

195.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$2.12 ₹201

694.34%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$1.72 ₹163

416.86%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$46.59 ₹4,408

1383.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$2,394 ₹226.5K

575.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$26.48 ₹2,505

118.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$20.33 ₹1,923

74.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$22.04 ₹2,085

414.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$25.31 ₹2,395

227.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$107 ₹10.1K

466.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$65.2 ₹6,166

587.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$401 ₹37.9K

406.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$237 ₹22.4K

531.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$287 ₹27.1K

75.89%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Thoothukudi: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $107 in Thoothukudi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 76% 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 $100 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 76% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $107 in Thoothukudi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $46.59 in Thoothukudi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 191% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $345 in Thoothukudi versus $1,223 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.