Which place is cheaper, Jaisalmer or Phuket?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Phuket or Jaisalmer?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Phuket or Jaisalmer, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Phuket or Jaisalmer?
Phuket
Phuket Island is the holiday gem of southern Thailand. Known for its beaches and resorts, the island brings in a massive amount of travelers from all over the world, year round. Although the beaches are beautiful, Phuket has also become more westernized and tourist-oriented in recent decades, leaving many travelers to venture elsewhere to find that amazing beach with a more authentic Thai vibe. However, Phuket Island is quite large, and hidden gems can still be found.
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer is located in western part of the Rajasthan state of India. The city is known as the "Golden City" for its Sonar Qila, or 'Golden Fort'. This fort is different than other forts in India in that it is a living fort, meaning that it contains many hotels, homes, and shops for locals and visitors. The city is very close to the Thar Desert, to which excursions can be made.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Thailand, The Best 2-Week Tours in Thailand, The Best Adventure Tours to India, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in India.
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Phuket Prices
Thailand PricesJaisalmer Prices
India Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPhuket $132Jaisalmer $41
The average daily cost (per person) in Phuket is $132, while the average daily cost in Jaisalmer is $41. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Phuket and Jaisalmer in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPhuket $61Jaisalmer $12
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPhuket $122Jaisalmer $24
Compare Hotels in Phuket and Jaisalmer
Looking for a hotel in Phuket or Jaisalmer? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Phuket Hotel Prices and Jaisalmer Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Phuket $12Jaisalmer $10
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Phuket
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Phuket:
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Longtail Taxi (for Two)$8.95
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Taxi from Airport to Phuket Town$7.46
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phuket
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phuket:
- Krabi to Island Transfer & Private Phi Phi Tour: $430
- Phuket’s Must-Do Tours with Return Private Airport Transfers: $241
- Jet Ski Island Hopping Tour with Transfers from Phuket: $233
- Phuket Airport to Koh Lanta any hotel Private transfer: $183
- ATV Bike 1 hr + ziplines 30 platforms with Roundtrip Transfer: $154
- ATV Bike 1 hr + Zipline Adventure 35 platforms with meal and Free Transfer: $154
- Flying Hanuman Ziplines 42 platforms with Transfer RoundTrips: $152
- Phi Phi Khai and Bamboo Island Sunrise with Transfer from Phuket: $141
- Private Phuket Airport Transfer to Hotels: $138
- Flying Hanuman Ziplines 42 platform & Transfer RoundTrips: $138
- Private Airport Arrival Transfer : Airport to Hotel in Krabi: $129
- Morning Blue Sky Spa Package with Private Transfer: $125
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Jaisalmer
Also for Jaisalmer, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Affordable Jaisalmer Airport Transfer: $15
- From Bikaner : Private Transfer To Jaisalmer: $60
- From Jaisalmer : Private Transfer To Bikaner: $55
- From Jaisalmer : Transfer To Jodhpur Via Osian Temple: $48
- Jaisalmer To Bikaner Private One Way Transfer: $64
- Jaisalmer to Jodhpur Private Transfer with Door to Door AC Car: $57
- 2-Night Camel Safari with Meals & Transfers: $96
- Jaiselmer to Bikaner drop Private Transfers Car service: $26
- One Way Jaisalmer To Jodhpur Transfer: $39
- One Way Transfer From Jaisalmer To Jodhpur: $42
- One Way Transfer Service From Jaisalmer Airport To Hotel: $11
- Private Jaiselmer Hotels to Jodhpur Drop – (To/From Transfers): $32
Is it cheaper to fly into Phuket or Jaisalmer?
Prices for flights to both Jaisalmer and Phuket change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayPhuket $41Jaisalmer $20
Typical Food Prices in Phuket
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Phuket:
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Casual Dinner (for Two)$8.63
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$5.07
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Sit Down Dinner (for Two)$13
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Thai Noodles$2.69
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Bananas$0.75
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Pizza (for Two)$8.95
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Phuket
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Phuket.
- Authentic Peranakan Cooking Class & Tasting Menu in Phuket: $29
- Phuket Express Thai Cooking Course with Authentic Recipes: $47
- Express Thai Cooking Class in Phuket: $50
- Catamaran Sunset Cruise in Phuket with Dinner at Promthep Cape: $51
- Vegetarian Organic Thai Cooking Class and Market Tour in Phuket: $51
- 3-Hour Authentic Thai Cooking Experience: $52
- Phuket 10+ Tastings Food Tour & Charming Old Town: $52
- Phuket Coral Island & Sunset Dinner Cruise by Catamaran Yacht: $53
- Authentic Thai Cooking Class by Suuko Wellness Spa: $55
- Coral Island Premium Yacht Half Day Tour with Sunset Dinner: $55
- Simply Thai Cooking Experience: $55
- Phuket Coral Island and Sunset Dinner by Luxury Catamaran: $58
Typical Food Prices in Jaisalmer
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Jaisalmer:
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Dinner$4.15
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Jaisalmer
For Jaisalmer, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- off beat Desert safari with sunset and dinner: $10
- Jaisalmer Food Tour: Taste the Flavors of the Golden City!: $13
- Authentic Desert Farm Visit and Cooking Class: $24
- Jodhpur Camel & Jeep Safari with Sunset, Folk Dance, Dinner: $25
- Dinner on the Dunes & Camel Safari: $25
- Jaisalmer Heritage & Cultural Walking & Street Food Tour: $25
- Camel Trails Sunset Safari with Dinner: $32
- Pleasant Sunset Safari With Dinner On Dunes (From 2:00 PM to Approx. 10:00 PM): $35
- Sunset Safari With Dinner: $37
- Cooking Class with Local Family & Rooftop Meal: $37
- Shahi Half Day Sunset Camel ride & Cultural program & dinner: $37
- Shahi Half day non touristic sand dune camel safari with dinner: $37
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Phuket $46Jaisalmer $11
Typical Entertainment Prices in Phuket
Here are a few typical costs in Phuket for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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One Day Boat Tour$27
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Scuba Diving (Two Dives)$75
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Thai Oil Massage$19
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Surfboard Rental$8.95
Tours and Activities in Phuket
Here are a few actual costs in Phuket for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- (Bookable Rows 1–3)Simon Cabaret Show Tickets in Patong Phuket: $24
- 1-Hour Quad Bike ATV Ride – Ultimate Adventure: $58
- 12 Islands Overnight Tour: $199
- 2 Day Tour to James Bond Islands, Krabi and Phi Phi: $183
- 2 Days 1 Night Surin Islands Snorkeling Tour from Phuket: $229
- 2 Hours ATV Riding in Phuket (Popular Tour): $98
- 3 Hour Zipline Adventure Park Experience: 65 Platforms: $104
- 3-Island Speedboat Tour: Racha Noi, Racha Yai & Maiton: $125
- 4 Hours and 50km Jet Ski Tour to 6 Phuket Islands: $239
- 4 Waters Eco Adventure from Phuket Including Lunch: $145
- 4 Waters Eco Adventure from Phuket Including Lunch: $155
- 4-Waters Eco-Adventure Trip from Phuket Including Lunch: $112
Typical Entertainment Prices in Jaisalmer
For Jaisalmer, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Sam Sand Dunes for Two$3.11
Tours and Activities in Jaisalmer
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Jaisalmer.
- City Sightseeing with Experienced Guide: $2.96
- Guided City Tour with Desert Safari: $4.23
- Agra: Skip-the-Line Taj Mahal Sunrise Tour w/Fatehpur Sikri: $4.50
- Billions of Stars Experience with Thar Desert & Camel Safari: $5.29
- Temple Tour Of Jaisalmer Rajasthan: $5.33
- Sam Sand Dunes Sunset Tour with Camel Ride: $8.00
- 2 Days Sharing Group Thar Desert Safari Adventure Tour: $8.60
- Nomadic Non Touristic Overnight Thar Desert & Camel Safari: $9.52
- Jaisalmer Fort Guided Tour with Entry Ticket: $9.52
- Private Jaisalmer Fort & old city tour: $10
- Colorful Markets of Jaisalmer (3 Hour Guided Tour): $11
- Explore Jaisalmer at Night (2 Hour Guided Walking Tour): $11
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPhuket $6.95Jaisalmer $8.01
Typical Alcohol Prices in Phuket
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Phuket from other travelers:
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Cocktails (for Two)$5.97
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Beer$2.54
Sample the Local Flavors in Phuket
Also in Phuket, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl Rooftop, Bars, GoGo & 3 Clubs with Shots: $17
- Phuket Guided Pub Crawl: $29
- Chalong Bay Rum Distillery Experience: $40
- Chalong Bay Rum Distillery Experience and Lunch: $52
- Phuket Real City Tour with Rum Cocktail Distillery: $85
- Phuket Sightseeing Tour with Rum Distillery: $107
- Half Day Rum Distillery Tour & Sunset Viewpoint: $112
- Big Buddha & The Distillery Phuket: $131
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phuket and Jaisalmer, we can see that Phuket is more expensive. And not only is Jaisalmer much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Jaisalmer would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Jaisalmer and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Phuket would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Phuket than you might in Jaisalmer.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Phuket Expensive? and Is Jaisalmer Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Phuket or Jaisalmer?
Phuket has a larger population, and is about 32% larger than the population of Jaisalmer. When comparing the sizes of Phuket and Jaisalmer, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.