Cost of Living Comparison Between Gharb and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Gharb and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,018 per month in Gharb vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,004 per month in Gharb vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,991 per month in Gharb vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Gharb costs about 64% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Gharb sits 51% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.02 €17.10

$4.63 ฿151

332.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$46.84 ฿1,523

46.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.03

$8.84 ฿287

32.81%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.34

$3.00 ฿97.4

-8.67%

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

$2.62 €2.24

$0.74 ฿24.11

254.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.78

$0.37 ฿11.88

464.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 €4.21

$2.44 ฿79.3

102.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.32

$3.61 ฿117

40.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.16

$2.26 ฿73.5

-39.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 €1.33

$1.84 ฿59.8

-15.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 €3.04

$2.24 ฿73.0

58.93%

Eggs

$3.79 €3.24

$2.32 ฿75.3

63.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 €8.65

$19.67 ฿639

-48.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.98 €9.38

$3.65 ฿119

200.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 €11.93

$13.10 ฿426

6.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 €2.84

$3.39 ฿110

-2.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.70

$1.64 ฿53.4

21.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 €2.45

$2.41 ฿78.5

19.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 €2.82

$2.03 ฿66.0

62.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.58

$1.56 ฿50.6

18.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 €2.45

$1.50 ฿48.66

91.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.02 ฿33.30

90.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.11

$0.49 ฿15.91

165.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 €5.57

$4.45 ฿145

46.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 €5.17

$18.88 ฿614

-67.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.97

$1.78 ฿57.7

29.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.56

$2.75 ฿89.5

-33.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 €2.30

$1.40 ฿45.54

92.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 €6.96

$3.12 ฿101

161.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 €1.66

$1.00 ฿32.48

95.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.25 €29.25

$14.09 ฿458

143.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.35 ฿43.93

17.04%

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

$26.6K €22.7K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-2.12%

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

$40.6K €34.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

23.36%

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

$167 €142

$125 ฿4,063

33.43%

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

$30.36 €25.93

$13.57 ฿441

123.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.34

$18.52 ฿602

79.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 €55.8

$61.5 ฿1,999

6.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.69 €19.37

$16.84 ฿547

34.74%

Cinema Ticket

$15.08 €12.88

$9.19 ฿299

64.09%

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

$264 €226

$698 ฿22.7K

-62.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €10.9K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-17.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €88.6

$57.8 ฿1,878

79.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.20 €32.62

$35.24 ฿1,146

8.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 €126

$113 ฿3,677

29.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 €85.4

$86.4 ฿2,808

15.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 €977

$616 ฿20.0K

85.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 €806

$446 ฿14.5K

111.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 €1,718

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-1.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,300

$1,492 ฿48.5K

2.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,566 €3,045

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-5.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,689 €2,297

$2,649 ฿86.1K

1.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

5.33

1.88%

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

Last update for Gharb: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,144 in Gharb versus $616 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Gharb versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $304 vs $292 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Gharb vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gharb costs about 64% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,026 per month in Gharb and $1,847 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,018 in Gharb and $1,232 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $264 per month in Gharb and $698 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Gharb at $2,018. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gharb it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,232 versus $2,018 in Gharb. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gharb makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.