Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vellore Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vellore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $269 in Vellore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $477 in Vellore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $685 in Vellore.

Living in Phuket is roughly 371% more expensive than Vellore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Vellore 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$1.39 ₹132

238.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$7.39 ₹704

513.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$2.40 ₹229

251.25%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.30 ₹123

125.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.40 ₹37.94

72.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.15 ₹14.57

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.73 ₹165

39.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.42 ₹326

8.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.55 ₹52.2

305.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.43 ₹41.37

325.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.69 ₹66.1

214.49%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$0.84 ₹79.9

163.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$2.03 ₹194

872.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.45 ₹233

48.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.71 ₹163

91.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.72 ₹68.1

123.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.96 ₹91.0

151.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.32 ₹30.61

550.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.37 ₹34.77

313.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.52 ₹49.87

184.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.24 ₹22.97

312.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.28 ₹26.84

82.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.70 ₹162

159.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$3.66 ₹349

429.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.84 ₹175

-3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.78 ₹265

-2.52%

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

$5.74 ₹547

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.28 ₹26.27

389.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$8.89 ₹847

28.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.45 ₹42.58

571.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.35 ₹33.71

182.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$1.19 ₹113

1084.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.20 ₹115

13.33%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$11.2K ₹1.1M

151.69%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.0K ₹1.6M

93.46%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$35.59 ₹3,390

241.95%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$3.44 ₹327

294.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$4.26 ₹406

329.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$8.67 ₹826

594.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.08 ₹484

237.40%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.29 ₹218

279.48%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$31.38 ₹2,989

2109.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,293 ₹123.1K

1113.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$9.39 ₹895

533.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$20.72 ₹1,973

67.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$21.83 ₹2,079

424.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$26.62 ₹2,535

212.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$63.0 ₹5,999

873.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$35.13 ₹3,346

1144.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$183 ₹17.5K

1041.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$179 ₹17.1K

742.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,104 ₹105.1K

239.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$673 ₹64.1K

288.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$314 ₹29.9K

61.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.5

-18.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Vellore: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $63.0 in Vellore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 62% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $7.00 in Vellore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $81.0 per month, with Vellore 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 Vellore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vellore is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 371% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 62% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $63.0 in Vellore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $31.38 in Vellore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 261% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $269 in Vellore versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Vellore but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vellore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vellore 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 Vellore 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 Vellore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 371% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.