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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $254 in Vellore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $437 in Vellore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $620 in Vellore.

Living in Phuket is roughly 385% more expensive than in Vellore, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Vellore 81% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.26 ₹121

250.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$6.74 ₹646

378.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$2.12 ₹203

321.23%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.96 ₹188

47.96%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.35 ₹33.79

151.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.11 ₹10.77

336.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.52 ₹146

54.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.20 ₹307

16.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.48 ₹46.12

289.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.52 ₹50.2

182.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.60 ₹57.6

158.33%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.79 ₹75.4

165.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$1.86 ₹179

953.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.40 ₹230

42.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.51 ₹145

97.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.71 ₹68.0

136.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.85 ₹81.3

160.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.27 ₹25.67

700.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.33 ₹31.20

360.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.39 ₹37.58

243.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.32 ₹30.88

253.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.26 ₹24.62

111.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.56 ₹150

173.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$3.68 ₹353

418.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.57 ₹150

13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.49 ₹239

11.65%

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

$5.09 ₹489

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.24 ₹23.09

829.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$5.10 ₹490

345.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.45 ₹43.31

573.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.28 ₹26.61

264.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.04 ₹100.0

274.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.05 ₹101

41.90%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$10.1K ₹971.7K

162.46%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$15.1K ₹1.4M

79.41%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$29.86 ₹2,865

243.17%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$3.98 ₹382

184.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$4.21 ₹404

313.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$8.37 ₹803

522.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$4.85 ₹465

128.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$2.36 ₹226

225.85%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$48.07 ₹4,612

1066.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$1,420 ₹136.3K

710.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$8.12 ₹779

676.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$18.60 ₹1,785

58.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$21.24 ₹2,037

361.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$25.40 ₹2,436

248.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$57.6 ₹5,530

1180.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$31.76 ₹3,047

1418.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$164 ₹15.8K

1182.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$157 ₹15.1K

678.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,134 ₹108.8K

219.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$657 ₹63.0K

296.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$304 ₹29.2K

62.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.5

-14.31%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Vellore: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $57.6 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $7.00 in Vellore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $76.0 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, Getting Around. The 385% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 62% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $57.6 in Vellore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $48.07 in Vellore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 260% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $254 in Vellore versus $1,232 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 385% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.