Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varanasi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varanasi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $289 in Varanasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $472 in Varanasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $656 in Varanasi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 327% more expensive than in Varanasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Varanasi 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.81 ₹174

143.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$7.95 ₹763

305.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$3.03 ₹291

194.72%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$1.59 ₹153

82.39%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.34 ₹32.94

158.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.09 ₹8.63

433.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$1.54 ₹147

52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.07 ₹199

79.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$0.60 ₹57.6

211.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.28 ₹26.44

425.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.53 ₹50.5

192.45%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$0.86 ₹82.0

144.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$3.02 ₹289

548.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.23 ₹214

53.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$1.36 ₹131

119.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$0.62 ₹59.4

170.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$0.86 ₹82.1

156.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$0.35 ₹33.23

517.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.23 ₹22.00

560.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.25 ₹24.06

436.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.42 ₹39.91

169.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.28 ₹27.04

96.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.19 ₹306

33.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$5.81 ₹557

228.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.64 ₹157

8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.33 ₹224

19.31%

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

$3.96 ₹380

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.51 ₹48.68

337.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$9.42 ₹904

141.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.18 ₹17.64

1583.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.11 ₹10.70

827.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$1.06 ₹102

266.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.08 ₹104

37.96%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$12.4K ₹1.2M

113.60%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$18.6K ₹1.8M

45.31%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$12.38 ₹1,187

727.71%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$3.55 ₹340

219.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$6.79 ₹651

156.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$11.05 ₹1,060

371.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$5.08 ₹488

117.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$2.84 ₹273

170.77%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$38.48 ₹3,691

1356.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$981 ₹94.1K

1072.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$20.95 ₹2,010

200.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$24.64 ₹2,363

19.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$36.38 ₹3,490

169.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$25.89 ₹2,484

241.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$111 ₹10.6K

565.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$47.87 ₹4,592

907.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$195 ₹18.7K

977.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$140 ₹13.5K

774.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$568 ₹54.5K

536.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$339 ₹32.5K

667.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$581 ₹55.7K

-15.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.53

-34.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $111 in Varanasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varanasi pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $8.00 in Varanasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $81.0 per month, with Varanasi 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 Varanasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varanasi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 327% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Varanasi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $111 in Varanasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $38.48 in Varanasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 238% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $289 in Varanasi versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varanasi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Varanasi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Varanasi 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 Varanasi 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 Varanasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 327% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.