Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Visakhapatnam Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Visakhapatnam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $429 in Visakhapatnam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $690 in Visakhapatnam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $951 in Visakhapatnam.

Living in Phuket is roughly 195% more expensive than Visakhapatnam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Visakhapatnam 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.52 ₹240

86.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$13.02 ₹1,240

248.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.29 ₹409

96.50%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.58 ₹151

85.44%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.36 ₹34.26

91.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.10 ₹9.52

270.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.11 ₹201

14.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.51 ₹334

5.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.76 ₹72.1

193.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.57 ₹54.7

221.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.82 ₹77.8

164.63%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$0.98 ₹93.5

125.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$5.17 ₹492

281.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.48 ₹331

4.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.89 ₹276

13.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.78 ₹73.9

106.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.31 ₹125

83.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.55 ₹52.5

278.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.56 ₹53.2

173.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.58 ₹55.1

155.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.72 ₹69.0

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.35 ₹33.39

45.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.27 ₹407

3.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$9.03 ₹861

114.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.97 ₹187

-9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.62 ₹345

-25.14%

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

$4.81 ₹458

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.28 ₹26.57

389.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$19.37 ₹1,845

-41.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.43 ₹136

111.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.21 ₹19.95

371.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.29 ₹219

515.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.26 ₹120

7.94%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$15.2K ₹1.4M

86.09%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.2K ₹2.3M

35.85%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$37.25 ₹3,548

226.71%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$3.69 ₹351

267.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$5.60 ₹534

226.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$17.11 ₹1,630

251.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$11.65 ₹1,110

47.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.17 ₹301

174.13%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$65.8 ₹6,269

953.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,730 ₹164.8K

806.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$30.09 ₹2,866

97.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$28.37 ₹2,702

22.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$37.35 ₹3,558

206.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$37.32 ₹3,555

123.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$142 ₹13.5K

332.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$81.4 ₹7,754

436.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$383 ₹36.4K

447.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$194 ₹18.4K

679.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$927 ₹88.3K

304.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$470 ₹44.8K

456.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$351 ₹33.4K

44.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.3

-35.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Visakhapatnam: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $142 in Visakhapatnam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 45% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Visakhapatnam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $126 per month, with Visakhapatnam 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 Visakhapatnam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Visakhapatnam is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 195% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 45% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $142 in Visakhapatnam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $65.8 in Visakhapatnam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 133% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $429 in Visakhapatnam versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Visakhapatnam but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Visakhapatnam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Visakhapatnam 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 Visakhapatnam 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 Visakhapatnam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 195% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.