Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tinsukia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tinsukia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $383 in Tinsukia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $620 in Tinsukia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $857 in Tinsukia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 230% more expensive than in Tinsukia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tinsukia 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$2.27 ₹219

99.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$14.97 ₹1,445

209.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$3.66 ₹353

136.34%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$1.58 ₹152

95.57%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$0.63 ₹60.8

7.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$0.17 ₹16.35

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$1.72 ₹166

40.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$2.99 ₹289

27.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$0.70 ₹67.2

211.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$0.49 ₹47.60

271.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$0.71 ₹68.8

207.04%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$0.89 ₹85.8

151.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$5.13 ₹496

288.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$3.07 ₹296

18.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.06 ₹199

59.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$0.69 ₹66.2

144.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$1.00 ₹96.8

133.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$0.50 ₹48.07

306.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.39 ₹37.31

310.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$0.44 ₹42.58

238.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$0.45 ₹43.20

124.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.32 ₹30.67

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$4.04 ₹390

10.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$6.76 ₹653

175.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$1.76 ₹170

1.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$2.77 ₹268

1.08%

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

$5.00 ₹483

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$0.30 ₹29.29

373.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$8.70 ₹840

30.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$0.78 ₹75.2

296.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$1.47 ₹142

827.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$1.21 ₹117

8.26%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$14.1K ₹1.4M

93.31%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$21.5K ₹2.1M

54.67%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$38.78 ₹3,744

217.59%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$3.38 ₹326

308.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$7.39 ₹714

150.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$15.64 ₹1,510

285.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$7.19 ₹694

133.66%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$2.95 ₹285

201.36%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$51.3 ₹4,951

1239.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$1,562 ₹150.9K

895.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$24.74 ₹2,389

132.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$25.54 ₹2,466

35.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$43.53 ₹4,203

164.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$31.66 ₹3,057

168.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$125 ₹12.0K

395.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$76.3 ₹7,365

480.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$272 ₹26.3K

652.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$183 ₹17.7K

721.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$1,081 ₹104.4K

230.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$466 ₹45.0K

438.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$327 ₹31.5K

53.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.67

-38.52%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Tinsukia: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $125 in Tinsukia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 54% 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 $15.00 in Tinsukia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $105 per month, with Tinsukia 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 Tinsukia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tinsukia is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 230% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $618 in Phuket versus $125 in Tinsukia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $51.3 in Tinsukia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 177% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $383 in Tinsukia versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tinsukia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tinsukia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tinsukia 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 Tinsukia 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 Tinsukia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 230% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.