Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thoothukudi and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Thoothukudi: $325 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

16

Cost of Living Index in Thoothukudi
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Thoothukudi Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Thoothukudi

🇮🇳 India

$325

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thoothukudi and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $325 in Thoothukudi versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Thoothukudi $325
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $549 in Thoothukudi versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Thoothukudi $549
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $774 in Thoothukudi versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Thoothukudi $774
Phuket $3,154

Living in Thoothukudi costs roughly 75% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Thoothukudi 76% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.22 ₹116

$4.47 ฿151

-72.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.57 ₹814

$32.41 ฿1,093

-73.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.78 ₹359

$8.81 ฿297

-57.09%

Cappuccino

$1.35 ₹129

$2.83 ฿95.4

-52.30%

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

$0.43 ₹40.43

$0.87 ฿29.41

-50.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.05

$0.49 ฿16.65

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 ₹160

$2.56 ฿86.3

-34.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₹202

$3.68 ฿124

-42.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 ₹58.2

$1.66 ฿55.9

-63.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 ₹38.83

$1.46 ฿49.31

-71.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.57 ₹54.4

$1.50 ฿50.5

-62.00%

Eggs

$0.68 ₹64.5

$2.09 ฿70.5

-67.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.35 ₹318

$19.07 ฿643

-82.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.69 ₹255

$3.30 ฿111

-18.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ₹195

$2.93 ฿98.9

-30.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 ₹66.6

$1.69 ฿57.0

-58.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ₹99.8

$2.25 ฿75.8

-53.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.48 ₹45.67

$2.08 ฿70.0

-76.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.37 ₹34.83

$1.51 ฿51.0

-75.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.37

$1.38 ฿46.52

-65.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.79

$1.07 ฿35.96

-51.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.53

$0.52 ฿17.51

-40.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 ₹473

$4.20 ฿142

18.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 ₹738

$18.79 ฿634

-58.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₹108

$1.82 ฿61.5

-37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₹141

$2.84 ฿95.8

-47.89%

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

$3.06 ₹291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₹47.95

$1.45 ฿48.98

-65.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.79 ₹1,500

$56.7 ฿1,912

-72.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 ₹48.78

$3.02 ฿102

-83.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.15 ₹14.13

$1.02 ฿34.33

-85.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ₹112

$3.69 ฿125

-68.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₹108

$1.47 ฿49.76

-22.45%

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

$10.5K ₹996.7K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-60.80%

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

$14.5K ₹1.4M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-45.68%

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

$32.38 ₹3,074

$96.4 ฿3,251

-66.39%

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

$3.09 ₹293

$11.26 ฿380

-72.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.84 ₹649

$16.85 ฿568

-59.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.69 ₹1,775

$67.2 ฿2,268

-72.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.84 ₹174

$10.73 ฿362

-82.85%

Cinema Ticket

$1.57 ₹149

$7.50 ฿253

-79.07%

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

$41.53 ₹3,943

$476 ฿16.1K

-91.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,897 ₹180.1K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-83.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.58 ₹2,428

$62.4 ฿2,104

-58.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.38 ₹1,650

$28.41 ฿958

-38.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.89 ₹1,889

$94.3 ฿3,181

-78.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.57 ₹2,523

$85.8 ฿2,895

-69.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$97.9 ₹9,300

$716 ฿24.2K

-86.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$57.7 ₹5,476

$491 ฿16.6K

-88.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 ₹35.3K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-80.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₹20.3K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-85.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$279 ₹26.5K

$502 ฿16.9K

-44.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.6

5.57

54.40%

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

Last update for Thoothukudi: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Thoothukudi

$92 28.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 190% $174

Accommodation & Living

Thoothukudi

$58 17.7%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 751% $433

Eating Out

Thoothukudi

$52 16.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 133% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thoothukudi

$42 13%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 194% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Thoothukudi

$40 12.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 203% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Thoothukudi

$22 6.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 277% $60

Getting Around

Thoothukudi

$19 5.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 270% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $98 in Thoothukudi and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 80% 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: $9 in Thoothukudi vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $92 vs $266 per month, with Thoothukudi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Thoothukudi

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

09:23 9:23 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Thoothukudi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Thoothukudi Phuket 2,230 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Thoothukudi
Phuket

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

Thoothukudi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thoothukudi is about 75% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Thoothukudi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $98 in Thoothukudi versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $42 in Thoothukudi versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 190% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $325 in Thoothukudi versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Thoothukudi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Thoothukudi 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.

Expats usually find Thoothukudi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.