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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $314 in Varanasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $517 in Varanasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $720 in Varanasi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 303% more expensive than in Varanasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Varanasi 76% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.31 ₹220

93.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$8.96 ₹855

408.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.51 ₹335

149.57%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.50 ₹143

98.00%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.31 ₹29.43

122.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.13 ₹12.42

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.79 ₹171

41.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.32 ₹221

61.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.65 ₹61.7

230.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.37 ₹35.28

391.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.52 ₹50.1

319.23%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$0.95 ₹90.4

136.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$3.60 ₹343

455.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.54 ₹242

42.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.52 ₹145

113.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.66 ₹63.0

148.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.88 ₹83.5

164.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.39 ₹36.74

430.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.29 ₹27.87

434.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.27 ₹25.84

440.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.35 ₹33.16

180.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.29 ₹27.40

65.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.90 ₹277

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.84 ₹557

217.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.64 ₹157

13.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.62 ₹250

1.15%

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

$4.67 ₹445

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.59 ₹56.5

140.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$10.66 ₹1,016

8.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.20 ₹19.05

1485.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.11 ₹10.67

836.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.17 ₹112

1087.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.16 ₹110

15.52%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$14.1K ₹1.3M

96.77%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$21.3K ₹2.0M

57.02%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$13.81 ₹1,317

791.02%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$3.54 ₹338

288.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$5.59 ₹533

227.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$12.28 ₹1,171

394.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$5.85 ₹558

193.33%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$2.97 ₹283

198.65%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$57.5 ₹5,484

1096.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$926 ₹88.3K

1603.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$22.97 ₹2,191

158.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$24.51 ₹2,338

41.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$41.19 ₹3,928

179.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$24.96 ₹2,380

235.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$127 ₹12.1K

387.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$52.5 ₹5,007

749.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$252 ₹24.0K

707.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$158 ₹15.0K

849.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$558 ₹53.3K

518.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$331 ₹31.6K

663.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$572 ₹54.6K

-13.72%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $127 in Varanasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varanasi pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Varanasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 303% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $127 in Varanasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $57.5 in Varanasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 231% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $314 in Varanasi versus $1,264 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 303% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.