Popular cities
Bengaluru vs Phuket cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฎ๐ณ Bengaluru
๐น๐ญ Phuket
At a glance
- Where Phuket is clearly cheaper: Massage (41%โ), Beer (20%โ), Coffee (19%โ)
- Where Bengaluru is clearly cheaper: Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (78%โ), Transit (75%โ), Bottled water (67%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Bengaluru is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bengaluru 3 vs Phuket 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Bengaluru | Phuket | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โน 250$2.98 | เธฟ 130$3.94 | Bengaluru โ24% |
| Street food1 item | โน 80$0.95 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Bengaluru โ61% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โน 900$10.7 | เธฟ 450$13.6 | Bengaluru โ21% |
| Coffeeone cup | โน 250$2.98 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Phuket โ19% |
| Beerone bottle | โน 350$4.17 | เธฟ 110$3.33 | Phuket โ20% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โน 650$7.74 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | similar |
| Bottled water | โน 10$0.12 | เธฟ 12$0.36 | Bengaluru โ67% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โน 30$0.36 | เธฟ 25$0.76 | Bengaluru โ53% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โน 180$2.14 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Bengaluru โ65% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โน 55$0.65 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Bengaluru โ78% |
| Transitone ride | โน 25$0.3 | เธฟ 40$1.21 | Bengaluru โ75% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โน 450$5.36 | เธฟ 300$9.09 | Bengaluru โ41% |
| Hotel night3-star | โน 3,500$41.7 | เธฟ 2,000$60.6 | Bengaluru โ31% |
| Studio rent (month) | โน 22,000$262 | เธฟ 16,000$485 | Bengaluru โ46% |
| Laundry | โน 90$1.07 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Bengaluru โ29% |
| SIM card1 week data | โน 350$4.17 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | Bengaluru โ54% |
| Haircutcut | โน 250$2.98 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Bengaluru โ35% |
| Massage1 hour | โน 1,500$17.9 | เธฟ 350$10.6 | Phuket โ41% |
| Half-day tourper person | โน 1,500$17.9 | เธฟ 1,000$30.3 | Bengaluru โ41% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โน 300$3.57 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Bengaluru โ41% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Bengaluru or Phuket?
Bengaluru is 39% cheaper than Phuket. Daily budget $73.7 vs $109; a month $1,122 vs $2,006.
Which is easier to travel, Bengaluru or Phuket?
Bengaluru is easier: Bengaluru 2.4/5 vs Phuket 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Bengaluru and Phuket?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bengaluru is about $1,122 and Phuket about $2,006 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.