Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varkala Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varkala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $393 in Varkala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $621 in Varkala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $849 in Varkala.

Living in Phuket is roughly 214% more expensive than Varkala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Varkala 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.35 ₹223

97.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$10.35 ₹983

352.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.63 ₹345

143.53%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.51 ₹143

98.68%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.41 ₹38.84

80.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.17 ₹16.26

117.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.70 ₹162

43.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.14 ₹298

14.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.66 ₹62.3

242.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.45 ₹42.51

308.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.67 ₹63.2

234.33%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$0.88 ₹83.5

163.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.86 ₹461

304.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.89 ₹274

26.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.99 ₹189

70.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.74 ₹70.2

121.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.99 ₹93.9

143.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.51 ₹48.32

298.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.35 ₹33.60

345.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.43 ₹40.73

248.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.45 ₹42.60

126.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.32 ₹29.99

53.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.03 ₹383

10.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.46 ₹708

153.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.69 ₹160

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.81 ₹267

-2.14%

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

$5.48 ₹521

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.30 ₹28.59

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$8.47 ₹804

35.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.77 ₹73.2

305.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.27 ₹25.88

270.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$1.44 ₹137

878.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.21 ₹115

11.57%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

96.15%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.0K ₹2.1M

49.35%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$38.52 ₹3,657

224.45%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.41 ₹324

297.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$7.31 ₹694

153.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$15.98 ₹1,517

284.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$7.21 ₹685

133.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.95 ₹280

211.53%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$51.1 ₹4,849

1267.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,509 ₹143.3K

933.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$24.23 ₹2,301

138.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$25.67 ₹2,437

37.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$41.98 ₹3,985

169.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$30.36 ₹2,883

184.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$122 ₹11.6K

403.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$76.2 ₹7,239

484.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$269 ₹25.5K

662.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$180 ₹17.1K

727.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,055 ₹100.2K

258.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$610 ₹57.9K

334.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.67

-38.52%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Varkala: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $122 in Varkala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $10.00 in Varkala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $104 per month, with Varkala 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 Varkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varkala is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 214% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $589 in Varkala to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $122 in Varkala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $51.1 in Varkala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 182% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $393 in Varkala versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varkala but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Varkala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Varkala 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 Varkala 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 Varkala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 214% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.