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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $271 in Vellore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $479 in Vellore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $687 in Vellore.

Living in Phuket is roughly 361% more expensive than in Vellore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$1.42 ₹137

220.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,550

$7.61 ₹733

506.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$2.29 ₹221

286.03%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.26 ₹121

142.86%

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

$0.73 ฿24.36

$0.36 ₹34.95

102.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.37

$0.15 ₹14.14

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.6

$1.73 ₹166

40.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.46 ₹333

9.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿75.8

$0.55 ₹52.7

310.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$0.47 ₹45.28

285.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$0.69 ₹66.7

226.09%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.4

$0.81 ₹78.2

177.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿655

$2.11 ₹203

824.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿122

$2.46 ₹236

48.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿438

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.71 ₹165

88.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$0.76 ₹72.9

113.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.0

$0.96 ₹92.0

147.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.0

$0.32 ₹31.17

534.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$0.34 ₹32.40

350.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.57 ₹54.8

163.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$0.22 ₹21.15

345.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.36

$0.26 ₹24.72

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.72 ₹165

158.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿615

$3.67 ₹353

399.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.86 ₹179

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.0

$2.72 ₹262

-1.47%

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

$5.53 ₹533

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.37

$0.28 ₹26.83

403.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$8.70 ₹837

34.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿104

$0.45 ₹43.23

591.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.00

$0.36 ₹34.35

188.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$1.15 ₹111

1126.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.02

$1.25 ₹120

4.80%

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$11.1K ₹1.1M

151.30%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$16.7K ₹1.6M

99.46%

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

$122 ฿4,110

$34.25 ₹3,298

257.49%

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

$13.59 ฿456

$3.26 ₹314

316.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿628

$4.23 ₹407

342.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,031

$8.76 ₹844

590.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

$5.00 ₹481

239.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.35 ₹227

285.96%

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

$706 ฿23.7K

$31.88 ₹3,070

2115.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.5K

$1,278 ₹123.1K

1136.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,965

$9.20 ₹886

536.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,187

$20.69 ₹1,992

70.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,876

$21.43 ₹2,063

438.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,811

$26.64 ₹2,565

214.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$64.9 ₹6,246

864.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.9K

$34.61 ₹3,332

1186.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.5K

$188 ₹18.1K

983.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.1K

$182 ₹17.5K

722.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

$1,122 ₹108.0K

210.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

$674 ₹64.9K

282.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$313 ₹30.2K

59.59%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Vellore: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $64.9 in Vellore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 60% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $8.00 in Vellore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $82.0 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 361% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 60% higher in Phuket, 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: $626 in Phuket versus $64.9 in Vellore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $31.88 in Vellore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 255% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $271 in Vellore versus $1,250 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 361% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.