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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $439 in Vijayawada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $716 in Vijayawada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $994 in Vijayawada.

Living in Phuket is roughly 178% more expensive than in Vijayawada, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Vijayawada 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$1.76 ₹166

156.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$11.59 ₹1,093

302.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$4.54 ₹429

87.00%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$3.81 ₹359

-19.16%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$0.49 ₹45.83

38.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.20 ₹19.17

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$2.27 ₹214

7.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.46 ₹232

47.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$0.91 ₹85.9

140.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$0.56 ₹52.8

223.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$0.69 ₹64.9

223.19%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$0.91 ₹85.6

146.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$6.73 ₹635

191.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.09 ₹292

20.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$2.23 ₹211

50.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.81 ₹76.3

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.89 ₹84.0

170.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$0.49 ₹45.79

306.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.40 ₹37.85

282.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$0.42 ₹39.32

245.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.72 ₹67.9

40.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.33 ₹31.48

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.03 ₹380

5.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$5.95 ₹562

221.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$2.52 ₹238

-26.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$3.20 ₹302

-14.37%

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

$4.31 ₹407

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.28 ₹26.25

407.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$7.12 ₹671

64.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.78 ₹168

68.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.50 ₹46.98

110.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$2.36 ₹223

488.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.26 ₹119

2.38%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$17.4K ₹1.6M

61.52%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$22.7K ₹2.1M

47.61%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$27.66 ₹2,609

341.00%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$3.75 ₹354

271.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$8.04 ₹758

134.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$19.86 ₹1,874

208.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$12.03 ₹1,135

39.98%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$3.40 ₹321

161.47%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$75.4 ₹7,115

816.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$1,786 ₹168.5K

804.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$24.43 ₹2,305

136.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$25.26 ₹2,383

40.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$41.01 ₹3,868

176.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$41.99 ₹3,961

97.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$137 ₹12.9K

342.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$85.0 ₹8,022

426.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$327 ₹30.9K

519.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$212 ₹20.0K

605.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$707 ₹66.7K

407.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$386 ₹36.4K

570.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$302 ₹28.5K

67.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.8

-50.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Vijayawada: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $137 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Vijayawada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $119 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 178% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $137 in Vijayawada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $75.4 in Vijayawada. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 146% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $439 in Vijayawada versus $1,223 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 178% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.