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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $364 in Tinsukia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $590 in Tinsukia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $815 in Tinsukia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 247% more expensive than in Tinsukia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$2.16 ₹205

115.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,059

$13.41 ₹1,271

140.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$3.60 ₹341

141.11%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.3

$1.61 ₹153

80.12%

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

$0.84 ฿27.75

$0.53 ₹50.6

58.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.17 ₹16.53

188.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.6

$1.76 ₹167

40.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.17 ₹300

17.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$0.67 ₹63.2

182.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.31

$0.48 ₹45.39

193.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.3

$0.62 ₹59.2

161.29%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.7

$0.86 ₹81.6

160.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿652

$4.54 ₹431

337.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$2.78 ₹264

25.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.3

$1.94 ₹184

49.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.7

$0.69 ₹65.7

149.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.7

$0.91 ₹86.0

149.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.1

$0.47 ₹45.03

353.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.49

$0.36 ₹33.75

308.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.69

$0.38 ₹35.79

273.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.08

$0.45 ₹42.69

144.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.66

$0.31 ₹29.47

93.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$5.15 ₹488

-16.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$7.58 ₹719

145.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.2

$1.65 ₹156

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.5

$2.72 ₹258

9.19%

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

$5.03 ₹476

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.8

$0.27 ₹25.68

733.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿772

$7.16 ₹678

228.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.78 ₹73.6

297.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.39

$0.25 ₹23.56

332.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$1.61 ₹153

140.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.93

$1.12 ₹106

27.68%

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

$27.8K ฿913.6K

$12.7K ₹1.2M

117.96%

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

$27.0K ฿887.2K

$19.5K ₹1.8M

38.70%

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

$105 ฿3,446

$35.39 ₹3,355

196.13%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$3.40 ₹322

235.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$6.70 ₹635

161.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,787

$14.20 ₹1,346

282.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿376

$6.32 ₹599

81.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$2.87 ₹272

171.08%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$48.05 ₹4,556

1099.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.8K

$1,409 ₹133.6K

721.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,092

$21.98 ₹2,084

189.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿957

$23.18 ₹2,198

25.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,164

$37.42 ₹3,548

157.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,960

$27.35 ₹2,593

229.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$125 ₹11.8K

488.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$74.2 ₹7,030

575.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.9K

$271 ₹25.7K

683.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$169 ₹16.0K

643.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.2K

$967 ₹91.6K

265.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.2K

$513 ₹48.7K

410.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$333 ₹31.6K

52.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.86

-37.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Tinsukia: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $125 in Tinsukia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 52% 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 $13.00 in Tinsukia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $101 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, Getting Around. The 247% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $125 in Tinsukia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $48.05 in Tinsukia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 172% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $364 in Tinsukia versus $1,265 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 247% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.