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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $335 in Udupi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $515 in Udupi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $696 in Udupi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 277% more expensive than Udupi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Udupi 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$1.13 ₹108

315.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$7.08 ₹674

540.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.47 ₹331

142.94%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.18 ₹112

148.31%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.24 ₹22.94

187.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.11 ₹10.08

236.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.47 ₹140

63.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.34 ₹223

58.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.54 ₹51.4

312.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.42 ₹40.36

335.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.56 ₹53.1

287.50%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$0.89 ₹85.0

148.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.90 ₹752

149.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.94 ₹470

-26.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.04 ₹194

60.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.79 ₹74.9

103.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.68 ₹64.5

254.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.51 ₹48.89

307.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.22 ₹20.86

595.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.24 ₹23.00

516.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.48 ₹46.01

106.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.27 ₹25.74

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.02 ₹192

118.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$4.35 ₹415

345.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.92 ₹183

-7.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.95 ₹281

-8.14%

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

$3.47 ₹330

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.17 ₹15.89

705.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$8.75 ₹833

30.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.49 ₹46.67

516.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.34 ₹32.22

191.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$1.46 ₹139

865.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.13 ₹107

20.35%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$12.9K ₹1.2M

119.25%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.8K ₹2.0M

57.98%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$41.85 ₹3,986

190.80%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$2.28 ₹217

495.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$2.38 ₹226

669.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$9.53 ₹908

531.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$9.33 ₹889

83.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.37 ₹226

266.67%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$34.68 ₹3,304

1899.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$685 ₹65.2K

2191.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$20.39 ₹1,942

191.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$21.93 ₹2,089

58.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$26.38 ₹2,513

334.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$25.75 ₹2,453

223.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$115 ₹11.0K

432.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$58.9 ₹5,606

642.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$172 ₹16.4K

1117.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$116 ₹11.1K

1199.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$815 ₹77.6K

360.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$518 ₹49.3K

405.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$309 ₹29.5K

64.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.38

-36.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Udupi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $115 in Udupi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 64% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $7.00 in Udupi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $114 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 277% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 64% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $115 in Udupi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $34.68 in Udupi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 156% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $335 in Udupi versus $1,265 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 277% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.