Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tumkur

For one person, living is cheaper in Tumkur: $356 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Tumkur, India
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Tumkur
🇮🇳 India
$356
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tumkur

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Tumkur actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $356 in Tumkur.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Tumkur $356

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $570 in Tumkur.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Tumkur $570

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $783 in Tumkur.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Tumkur $783

Living in Phuket is roughly 259% more expensive than in Tumkur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tumkur 74% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Tumkur
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$1.57 ₹149
184.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$10.54 ₹1,004
207.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$3.12 ₹297
182.37%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$1.54 ₹147
83.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$0.42 ₹39.86
107.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$0.11 ₹10.49
345.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$2.13 ₹203
20.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$1.60 ₹152
130.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Tumkur
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$0.55 ₹52.4
201.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$0.30 ₹28.75
386.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$0.65 ₹62.3
130.77%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$0.76 ₹72.5
175.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$5.40 ₹514
253.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$2.96 ₹282
11.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$2.61 ₹249
12.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$0.62 ₹59.4
172.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.21 ₹115
85.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$0.39 ₹37.09
433.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.44 ₹41.47
243.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$0.27 ₹25.80
411.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$0.38 ₹36.42
181.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.31 ₹29.55
67.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$4.94 ₹470
-14.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$5.15 ₹491
264.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.65 ₹157
10.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$3.04 ₹289
-6.58%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$4.35 ₹414
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Tumkur
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$0.23 ₹21.98
530.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$7.06 ₹672
702.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.07 ₹102
182.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$0.29 ₹27.94
251.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$1.64 ₹156
125.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.07 ₹102
37.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$11.2K ₹1.1M
139.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$14.1K ₹1.3M
89.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Tumkur
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$35.54 ₹3,384
171.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$3.36 ₹320
235.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$5.37 ₹512
213.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Tumkur
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$13.96 ₹1,329
381.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$6.41 ₹611
67.39%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$2.60 ₹248
188.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Tumkur
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$53.6 ₹5,101
788.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$1,316 ₹125.3K
755.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Tumkur
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$18.17 ₹1,730
243.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$23.13 ₹2,202
22.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$35.73 ₹3,402
163.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$28.59 ₹2,722
200.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Tumkur
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$119 ₹11.3K
503.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$77.9 ₹7,419
530.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$267 ₹25.4K
622.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$183 ₹17.4K
680.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$945 ₹90.0K
341.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$540 ₹51.4K
463.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Tumkur
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
9.56
-41.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tumkur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Tumkur
$78 84.1% $413
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Tumkur
$101 62.2% $166
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Tumkur
$44 64.4% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Tumkur
$48 61% $74
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Tumkur
$56 53.6% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Tumkur
$19 76.7% $63
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Tumkur
$11 85.1% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $119 in Tumkur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $11 in Tumkur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $101 per month, with Tumkur cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇮🇳 Tumkur
🕒 Local time
01:41 1:41 AM
00:11 12:11 AM
1 h 30 min behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
100,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Tumkur 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Tumkur

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tumkur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tumkur cheaper than Phuket?
Tumkur is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 259% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $534 in Tumkur to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Tumkur?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $119 in Tumkur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $54 in Tumkur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Tumkur?
Supermarket bills run roughly 165% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Tumkur?
At $356 in Tumkur versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Tumkur but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tumkur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Tumkur?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Tumkur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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