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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $378 in Varkala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $606 in Varkala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $834 in Varkala.

Living in Phuket is roughly 234% more expensive than Varkala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Varkala 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.31 ₹219

97.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$10.58 ₹1,006

340.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.46 ₹329

144.80%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.57 ₹149

92.99%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.41 ₹38.71

68.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.16 ₹15.04

131.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.69 ₹161

47.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.02 ₹287

21.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.66 ₹62.5

230.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.45 ₹42.70

322.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.66 ₹62.8

233.33%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$0.90 ₹85.4

146.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$4.86 ₹462

311.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.03 ₹288

20.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.97 ₹187

63.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.69 ₹65.7

146.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.95 ₹90.0

151.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.53 ₹50.8

292.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.38 ₹36.59

318.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.46 ₹43.87

221.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.49 ₹46.91

110.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.35 ₹32.91

48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.94 ₹374

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$7.38 ₹702

154.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.79 ₹170

-1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.78 ₹264

-0.72%

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

$5.58 ₹530

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.30 ₹28.86

353.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$8.83 ₹840

28.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.84 ₹79.9

273.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.25 ₹23.73

316.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.43 ₹136

862.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.22 ₹116

9.84%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

98.81%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$21.9K ₹2.1M

54.89%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$38.78 ₹3,688

218.70%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$3.55 ₹337

280.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$7.46 ₹709

150.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$16.09 ₹1,530

284.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$6.98 ₹664

147.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$2.97 ₹282

207.74%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$52.3 ₹4,977

1242.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,561 ₹148.5K

916.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$24.20 ₹2,301

145.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$25.54 ₹2,429

37.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$42.00 ₹3,994

174.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$29.96 ₹2,849

180.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$122 ₹11.6K

406.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$77.7 ₹7,390

456.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$274 ₹26.1K

651.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$181 ₹17.2K

733.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,043 ₹99.2K

249.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$604 ₹57.4K

334.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Varkala: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $122 in Varkala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Varkala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $105 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 234% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $566 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: $619 in Phuket versus $122 in Varkala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $52.3 in Varkala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 179% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $378 in Varkala versus $1,261 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 234% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.