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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $307 in Varanasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $511 in Varanasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $714 in Varanasi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 299% more expensive than in Varanasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Varanasi 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$2.38 ₹224

89.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$8.60 ₹811

442.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$3.39 ₹320

150.44%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$1.53 ₹144

101.31%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$0.31 ₹29.19

119.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.12 ₹11.31

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$1.71 ₹162

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.27 ₹214

59.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$0.65 ₹61.2

236.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$0.36 ₹34.25

402.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$0.52 ₹48.89

328.85%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$0.89 ₹84.0

151.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$3.60 ₹339

444.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.57 ₹242

44.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$1.53 ₹144

119.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.65 ₹61.0

149.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.92 ₹87.1

161.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$0.36 ₹33.92

452.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.29 ₹27.60

427.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$0.25 ₹23.48

480.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.35 ₹33.01

188.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.29 ₹26.90

65.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.83 ₹267

50.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$5.66 ₹534

237.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.74 ₹164

5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$2.59 ₹244

5.79%

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

$4.65 ₹439

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.61 ₹57.2

132.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$10.37 ₹978

13.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$0.22 ₹20.77

1263.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.12 ₹10.94

775.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$1.18 ₹111

1077.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.21 ₹114

6.61%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

101.26%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$21.2K ₹2.0M

57.79%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$13.93 ₹1,314

775.66%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$3.64 ₹343

282.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$5.37 ₹507

251.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$12.36 ₹1,166

395.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$5.85 ₹552

187.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$3.00 ₹283

196.33%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$58.1 ₹5,484

1089.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$927 ₹87.5K

1642.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$23.35 ₹2,203

147.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$24.60 ₹2,320

43.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$41.36 ₹3,901

174.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$25.04 ₹2,361

231.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$126 ₹11.9K

381.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$52.7 ₹4,975

749.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$251 ₹23.7K

708.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$157 ₹14.8K

852.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$579 ₹54.6K

519.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$347 ₹32.8K

644.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$590 ₹55.6K

-14.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.72

-38.88%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $126 in Varanasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varanasi pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Varanasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $88.0 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 299% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $126 in Varanasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $58.1 in Varanasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 233% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $307 in Varanasi versus $1,223 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 299% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.