Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vijayawada

For one person, living is cheaper in Vijayawada: $395 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Vijayawada
Learn more

Vijayawada Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Vijayawada

🇮🇳 India

$395

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Vijayawada

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Vijayawada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $395 in Vijayawada.

Phuket $1,278
Vijayawada $395

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $639 in Vijayawada.

Phuket $2,216
Vijayawada $639

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $883 in Vijayawada.

Phuket $3,154
Vijayawada $883

Living in Phuket is roughly 223% more expensive than in Vijayawada, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Vijayawada 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.55 ₹147

188.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$8.75 ₹831

270.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.52 ₹430

94.91%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.63 ₹345

-22.04%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.41 ₹38.80

112.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.16 ₹15.10

206.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.92 ₹182

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.28 ₹217

61.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.76 ₹72.5

118.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.54 ₹51.1

170.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.62 ₹59.1

141.94%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$0.77 ₹73.0

171.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$6.35 ₹602

200.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.57 ₹244

28.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.82 ₹172

60.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.72 ₹68.7

134.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.80 ₹76.1

181.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.43 ₹40.91

383.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.37 ₹35.42

308.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.46 ₹43.51

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.64 ₹61.1

67.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.31 ₹29.64

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.07 ₹481

-17.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$7.29 ₹692

157.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.86 ₹176

-2.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.12 ₹296

-8.97%

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

$3.39 ₹322

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.31 ₹29.76

367.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$6.69 ₹635

746.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.62 ₹154

86.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.43 ₹40.69

137.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.08 ₹197

77.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.08 ₹102

36.11%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

135.10%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$20.5K ₹2.0M

29.89%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$32.67 ₹3,102

194.92%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$3.26 ₹309

245.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$7.76 ₹737

117.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$16.02 ₹1,521

319.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$11.08 ₹1,051

-3.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.13 ₹297

139.62%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$69.2 ₹6,567

588.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$1,951 ₹185.3K

477.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$17.87 ₹1,697

248.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$18.78 ₹1,783

51.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$38.78 ₹3,682

143.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$35.32 ₹3,354

142.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$120 ₹11.4K

498.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$74.3 ₹7,058

560.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$273 ₹25.9K

606.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$206 ₹19.5K

595.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$680 ₹64.5K

514.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$418 ₹39.6K

629.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$305 ₹29.0K

64.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.2

-45.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vijayawada: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Vijayawada

$74 18.8% 84.9% $417

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Vijayawada

$108 27.2% 59.6% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Vijayawada

$44 11.1% 64.9% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Vijayawada

$50 12.6% 59.1% $72

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Vijayawada

$86 21.7% 29.4% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Vijayawada

$22 5.6% 72.9% $60

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Vijayawada

$12 3% 83.4% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $120 in Vijayawada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 65% 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 in Phuket vs $9 in Vijayawada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $108 per month, with Vijayawada cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇳 Vijayawada

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

13:36 1:36 PM

1 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,048,240

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.44 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Vijayawada 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Vijayawada

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Vijayawada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vijayawada is about 69% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 65% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $120 in Vijayawada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $69 in Vijayawada. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $395 in Vijayawada versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Vijayawada but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vijayawada the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Vijayawada are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Vijayawada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.