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Kolkata 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 Kolkata
๐น๐ญ Phuket
At a glance
- Where Kolkata is clearly cheaper: Transit (88%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (76%โ), Studio rent (month) (73%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Kolkata is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Kolkata 3 vs Phuket 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Kolkata | Phuket | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โน 180$2.14 | เธฟ 130$3.94 | Kolkata โ46% |
| Street food1 item | โน 70$0.83 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Kolkata โ66% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โน 550$6.55 | เธฟ 450$13.6 | Kolkata โ52% |
| Coffeeone cup | โน 170$2.02 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Kolkata โ17% |
| Beerone bottle | โน 220$2.62 | เธฟ 110$3.33 | Kolkata โ21% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โน 500$5.95 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Kolkata โ21% |
| Bottled water | โน 10$0.12 | เธฟ 12$0.36 | Kolkata โ67% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โน 20$0.24 | เธฟ 25$0.76 | Kolkata โ69% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โน 150$1.79 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Kolkata โ71% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โน 60$0.71 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Kolkata โ76% |
| Transitone ride | โน 12$0.14 | เธฟ 40$1.21 | Kolkata โ88% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โน 400$4.76 | เธฟ 300$9.09 | Kolkata โ48% |
| Hotel night3-star | โน 3,600$42.9 | เธฟ 2,000$60.6 | Kolkata โ29% |
| Studio rent (month) | โน 11,000$131 | เธฟ 16,000$485 | Kolkata โ73% |
| Laundry | โน 70$0.83 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Kolkata โ45% |
| SIM card1 week data | โน 350$4.17 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | Kolkata โ54% |
| Haircutcut | โน 200$2.38 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Kolkata โ48% |
| Massage1 hour | โน 1,000$11.9 | เธฟ 350$10.6 | Phuket โ11% |
| Half-day tourper person | โน 1,500$17.9 | เธฟ 1,000$30.3 | Kolkata โ41% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โน 500$5.95 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | similar |
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, Kolkata or Phuket?
Kolkata is 57% cheaper than Phuket. Daily budget $65.3 vs $109; a month $668 vs $2,006.
Which is easier to travel, Kolkata or Phuket?
Kolkata is easier: Kolkata 2.4/5 vs Phuket 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Kolkata and Phuket?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Kolkata is about $668 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.