Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Udupi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Udupi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $321 in Udupi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $483 in Udupi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $645 in Udupi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 284% more expensive than in Udupi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Udupi 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.17 ₹112

276.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$7.49 ₹718

330.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$3.57 ₹342

150.14%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.02 ₹98.1

184.31%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.33 ₹31.21

166.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.10 ₹9.22

380.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.22 ₹118

92.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.91 ₹183

94.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.49 ₹46.83

281.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.38 ₹36.33

286.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.78 ₹74.9

98.72%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.80 ₹76.6

162.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.83 ₹751

150.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.32 ₹319

3.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.88 ₹180

58.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.72 ₹68.6

133.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.63 ₹60.6

250.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.41 ₹39.42

426.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.18 ₹17.11

744.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.28 ₹27.08

378.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.76 ₹72.9

48.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.32 ₹31.04

71.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.66 ₹447

-8.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$4.53 ₹435

321.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.75 ₹168

1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.40 ₹230

15.83%

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

$3.11 ₹299

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.15 ₹14.73

1386.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$7.68 ₹737

196.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.39 ₹37.82

676.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.30 ₹28.55

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.28 ₹122

203.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.05 ₹101

41.90%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$18.4K ₹1.8M

44.12%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$18.4K ₹1.8M

46.77%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$26.23 ₹2,517

290.66%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$2.04 ₹196

455.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$4.71 ₹452

269.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$8.33 ₹799

525.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$8.41 ₹807

31.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$2.06 ₹198

273.30%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$31.32 ₹3,005

1690.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$616 ₹59.1K

1767.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$18.05 ₹1,731

249.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$19.00 ₹1,823

55.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$22.01 ₹2,111

345.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$22.18 ₹2,128

299.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$123 ₹11.8K

500.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$77.1 ₹7,398

525.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$191 ₹18.3K

1003.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$140 ₹13.4K

774.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$834 ₹80.0K

333.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$523 ₹50.1K

397.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$305 ₹29.3K

61.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.38

-33.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Udupi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $123 in Udupi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 62% 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 $7.00 in Udupi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $104 per month, with Udupi 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 Udupi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Udupi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 284% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 62% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $123 in Udupi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $31.32 in Udupi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 163% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $321 in Udupi versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Udupi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Udupi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Udupi 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 Udupi 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 Udupi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 284% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.