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Mumbai 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 Mumbai
๐น๐ญ Phuket
At a glance
- Where Phuket is clearly cheaper: Massage (41%โ), Cocktail & wine (20%โ), Entry ticket (15%โ)
- Where Mumbai is clearly cheaper: Transit (80%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (78%โ), Street food (75%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Mumbai is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Mumbai 3 vs Phuket 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Mumbai | Phuket | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โน 250$2.98 | เธฟ 130$3.94 | Mumbai โ24% |
| Street food1 item | โน 50$0.6 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Mumbai โ75% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โน 1,000$11.9 | เธฟ 450$13.6 | Mumbai โ13% |
| Coffeeone cup | โน 230$2.74 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Phuket โ11% |
| Beerone bottle | โน 300$3.57 | เธฟ 110$3.33 | Phuket โ7% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โน 800$9.52 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Phuket โ20% |
| Bottled water | โน 10$0.12 | เธฟ 12$0.36 | Mumbai โ67% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โน 22$0.27 | เธฟ 25$0.76 | Mumbai โ65% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โน 170$2.02 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Mumbai โ67% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โน 55$0.65 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Mumbai โ78% |
| Transitone ride | โน 20$0.24 | เธฟ 40$1.21 | Mumbai โ80% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โน 700$8.33 | เธฟ 300$9.09 | Mumbai โ8% |
| Hotel night3-star | โน 4,500$53.6 | เธฟ 2,000$60.6 | Mumbai โ12% |
| Studio rent (month) | โน 35,000$417 | เธฟ 16,000$485 | Mumbai โ14% |
| Laundry | โน 100$1.19 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Mumbai โ21% |
| SIM card1 week data | โน 350$4.17 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | Mumbai โ54% |
| Haircutcut | โน 200$2.38 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Mumbai โ48% |
| 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 | Mumbai โ41% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โน 600$7.14 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Phuket โ15% |
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, Mumbai or Phuket?
Mumbai is 24% cheaper than Phuket. Daily budget $86.9 vs $109; a month $1,465 vs $2,006.
Which is easier to travel, Mumbai or Phuket?
Mumbai is easier: Mumbai 2.4/5 vs Phuket 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Mumbai and Phuket?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Mumbai is about $1,465 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.