Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Udupi

For one person, living is cheaper in Udupi: $316 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
15

Cost of Living Index in Udupi
Learn more

Udupi Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Udupi

🇮🇳 India

$316

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Udupi

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 Udupi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $316 in Udupi.

Phuket $1,278
Udupi $316

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $487 in Udupi.

Phuket $2,216
Udupi $487

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $659 in Udupi.

Phuket $3,154
Udupi $659

Living in Phuket is roughly 304% more expensive than in Udupi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Udupi 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.14 ₹108

292.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$7.33 ₹696

342.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.58 ₹340

146.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.03 ₹97.8

174.76%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.31 ₹29.05

180.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.10 ₹9.49

390.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.22 ₹116

109.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.04 ₹193

80.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.48 ₹45.93

245.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.37 ₹35.19

294.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.79 ₹74.7

89.87%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$0.82 ₹78.3

154.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.69 ₹730

147.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.38 ₹321

-2.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.86 ₹177

57.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.74 ₹70.5

128.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.62 ₹59.1

262.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.38 ₹36.19

447.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.18 ₹17.37

738.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.26 ₹24.48

430.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.80 ₹76.3

33.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.31 ₹29.04

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.55 ₹432

-7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$4.44 ₹421

323.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.76 ₹167

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.39 ₹227

18.83%

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

$3.04 ₹289

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.18 ₹17.30

705.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$7.60 ₹722

645.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.39 ₹37.48

674.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.30 ₹28.90

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.29 ₹122

186.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.06 ₹101

38.68%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$11.3K ₹1.1M

137.63%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$18.5K ₹1.8M

43.94%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$26.52 ₹2,518

263.31%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$2.07 ₹196

443.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$4.74 ₹450

255.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$8.31 ₹789

709.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$8.22 ₹781

30.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.14 ₹203

250.47%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$31.90 ₹3,028

1391.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$632 ₹60.0K

1681.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$18.59 ₹1,765

235.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$18.99 ₹1,803

49.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$22.36 ₹2,122

321.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$22.08 ₹2,096

288.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$123 ₹11.7K

482.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$75.4 ₹7,162

550.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$191 ₹18.1K

909.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$141 ₹13.4K

914.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$821 ₹77.9K

408.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$524 ₹49.8K

480.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$313 ₹29.8K

60.24%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Udupi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Udupi

$75 23.9% 84.6% $415

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Udupi

$104 32.8% 61.1% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Udupi

$33 10.5% 73.2% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Udupi

$37 11.7% 69.7% $85

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Udupi

$44 13.9% 63.8% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Udupi

$13 4% 84.7% $70

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Udupi

$10 3.2% 85.5% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $123 in Udupi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 60% 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 in Phuket vs $7 in Udupi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $104 per month, with Udupi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Udupi

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

125,300

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Udupi 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Udupi

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 Udupi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Udupi is about 75% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $123 in Udupi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $32 in Udupi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 157% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $316 in Udupi versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Udupi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Udupi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.