Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vijayawada Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vijayawada

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $405 in Vijayawada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $646 in Vijayawada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $888 in Vijayawada.

Living in Phuket is roughly 204% more expensive than in Vijayawada, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Vijayawada 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.54 ₹148

186.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$8.65 ₹829

272.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.42 ₹424

102.04%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.70 ₹355

-21.62%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.41 ₹39.13

114.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.12 ₹11.84

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.93 ₹185

21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.26 ₹217

64.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.75 ₹71.6

149.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.53 ₹50.9

177.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.61 ₹58.1

154.10%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.77 ₹73.8

172.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.30 ₹604

210.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.56 ₹246

33.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.85 ₹178

61.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.68 ₹65.6

147.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.80 ₹77.2

176.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.43 ₹41.36

402.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.40 ₹38.83

280.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.44 ₹42.61

204.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.65 ₹62.2

73.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.28 ₹26.57

96.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.95 ₹475

-13.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.35 ₹705

159.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.84 ₹177

-3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.13 ₹300

-11.18%

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

$3.30 ₹317

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.31 ₹30.19

619.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$6.67 ₹640

240.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.55 ₹149

95.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.42 ₹40.11

142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$2.10 ₹202

85.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.07 ₹103

39.25%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$15.6K ₹1.5M

70.48%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$20.4K ₹2.0M

32.49%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$32.43 ₹3,112

215.97%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$3.26 ₹312

247.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$7.68 ₹737

126.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$16.06 ₹1,540

224.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$10.90 ₹1,045

1.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.06 ₹294

151.31%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$68.9 ₹6,608

714.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$1,993 ₹191.2K

477.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$18.03 ₹1,730

249.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$18.47 ₹1,772

59.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$37.91 ₹3,637

158.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$35.75 ₹3,430

147.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$128 ₹12.3K

476.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$76.4 ₹7,331

531.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$286 ₹27.4K

637.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$198 ₹19.0K

519.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$690 ₹66.2K

424.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$400 ₹38.4K

550.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$296 ₹28.4K

66.69%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Vijayawada: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $128 in Vijayawada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 67% 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 $9.00 in Vijayawada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $107 per month, with Vijayawada 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 Vijayawada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vijayawada is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 204% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 67% 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 $128 in Vijayawada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $68.9 in Vijayawada. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 156% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $405 in Vijayawada versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 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.

For families, Vijayawada 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 Vijayawada 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 Vijayawada gentler on the wallet – expenses run 204% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.