Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vellore and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Vellore: $259 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

13

Cost of Living Index in Vellore
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Vellore Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Vellore

🇮🇳 India

$259

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vellore 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 Vellore and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $259 in Vellore versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Vellore $259
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $447 in Vellore versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Vellore $447
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $636 in Vellore versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Vellore $636
Phuket $2,867

Living in Vellore costs roughly 79% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Vellore 81% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.28 ₹122

$4.58 ฿153

-72.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$6.99 ₹664

$32.48 ฿1,086

-78.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.08 ₹197

$8.55 ฿286

-75.67%

Cappuccino

$2.01 ₹191

$2.72 ฿91.0

-26.10%

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

$0.36 ₹34.03

$0.94 ฿31.25

-61.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.16

$0.49 ฿16.39

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 ₹146

$2.59 ฿86.6

-40.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ₹290

$3.83 ฿128

-20.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 ₹45.41

$1.74 ฿58.1

-72.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 ₹52.2

$1.43 ฿47.82

-61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 ₹57.0

$1.53 ฿51.0

-60.78%

Eggs

$0.78 ₹73.8

$2.17 ฿72.7

-64.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.93 ₹183

$19.15 ฿640

-89.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.31 ₹219

$3.30 ฿110

-30.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 ₹152

$2.95 ฿98.5

-45.76%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 ₹68.3

$1.68 ฿56.1

-57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 ₹84.8

$2.30 ฿76.8

-61.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.89

$2.13 ฿71.3

-86.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.30 ₹28.14

$1.53 ฿51.1

-80.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ₹36.22

$1.36 ฿45.55

-72.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ₹28.04

$1.12 ฿37.44

-73.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.26 ₹24.49

$0.55 ฿18.24

-52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.60 ₹152

$4.26 ฿142

-62.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.83 ₹364

$18.19 ฿608

-78.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₹155

$1.74 ฿58.2

-6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 ₹243

$2.79 ฿93.3

-8.24%

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

$4.98 ₹473

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₹22.85

$2.22 ฿74.1

-89.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.09 ₹484

$22.06 ฿737

-76.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 ₹42.48

$2.91 ฿97.3

-84.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹28.49

$1.01 ฿33.79

-70.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ₹100

$3.83 ฿128

-72.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ₹104

$1.49 ฿49.85

-26.17%

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

$9,959 ₹945.6K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-62.67%

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

$14.7K ₹1.4M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-44.80%

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

$30.22 ₹2,869

$99.4 ฿3,321

-69.59%

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

$4.15 ₹394

$11.28 ฿377

-63.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$4.18 ₹397

$17.36 ฿580

-75.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$8.39 ₹796

$52.3 ฿1,747

-83.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.79 ₹454

$10.85 ฿362

-55.85%

Cinema Ticket

$2.43 ₹231

$7.57 ฿253

-67.90%

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

$48.80 ₹4,634

$558 ฿18.7K

-91.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,394 ₹132.4K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-87.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$8.47 ₹804

$62.9 ฿2,102

-86.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.02 ₹1,806

$28.58 ฿955

-33.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$21.40 ₹2,032

$96.1 ฿3,213

-77.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.27 ₹2,399

$88.1 ฿2,943

-71.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$57.1 ₹5,421

$729 ฿24.4K

-92.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$31.86 ₹3,025

$460 ฿15.4K

-93.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$169 ₹16.1K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-91.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 ₹15.1K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-86.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,099 ₹104.3K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-68.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$678 ₹64.4K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-72.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$310 ₹29.4K

$493 ฿16.5K

-37.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.57

16.70%

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

Last update for Vellore: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Vellore

$77 29.9%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 246% $190

Eating Out

Vellore

$56 21.8%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 115% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vellore

$39 14.9%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 232% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Vellore

$33 12.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 272% $91

Accommodation & Living

Vellore

$32 12.3%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 1344% $428

Sport & Entertainment

Vellore

$13 5.1%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 409% $54

Getting Around

Vellore

$8 3.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 386% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $57.1 in Vellore and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 59% 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: $7.00 in Vellore vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $77.0 vs $268 per month, with Vellore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Vellore

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

22:53 10:53 PM

1 h 30 min ahead of Vellore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

186,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vellore Phuket 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Vellore
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

Vellore vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vellore is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 366% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Phuket. 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: $57.1 in Vellore versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $48.80 in Vellore versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 246% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $259 in Vellore versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Vellore but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vellore the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vellore 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, Vellore and Phuket 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 Vellore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 366% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.