Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Herat and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Herat: $399 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Herat, Afghanistan
Phuket, Thailand
Herat
🇦🇫 Afghanistan
$399
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Herat and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Herat and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $399 per month in Herat vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Herat $399
  • Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $478 per month in Herat vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Herat $478
  • Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $558 per month in Herat vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Herat $558
  • Phuket $3,154

Herat is about 69% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Herat and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Herat 71% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Herat
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$4.47 ฿151
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$9.41 ؋611
$32.41 ฿1,092
-70.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.75 ؋243
$8.81 ฿297
-57.43%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.52 ؋98.4
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.87 ؋511
-
-
Cappuccino
$0.79 ؋51.5
$2.83 ฿95.3
-72.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.44 ؋28.56
$0.87 ฿29.37
-49.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.49 ฿16.64
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.56 ฿86.2
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.68 ฿124
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Herat
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.61 ؋39.47
$1.66 ฿55.9
-63.25%
White Bread (500g)
-
$1.46 ฿49.25
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
-
$1.50 ฿50.4
-
Eggs
$1.89 ؋123
$2.09 ฿70.4
-9.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$19.07 ฿642
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$3.30 ฿111
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.28 ؋408
$10.91 ฿368
-42.44%
Apples (1kg)
$0.63 ؋41.15
$2.93 ฿98.7
-78.50%
Banana (1kg)
$0.75 ؋48.82
$1.69 ฿56.9
-55.62%
Oranges (1kg)
-
$2.25 ฿75.7
-
Tomato (1kg)
$0.64 ؋41.71
$2.08 ฿70.0
-69.23%
Potato (1kg)
$0.30 ؋19.37
$1.51 ฿50.9
-80.13%
Onion (1kg)
$0.32 ؋20.80
$1.38 ฿46.47
-76.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.07 ฿35.91
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.30 ؋19.18
$0.52 ฿17.49
-42.31%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.47 ؋30.52
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.17 ؋206
$4.20 ฿142
-24.52%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$18.79 ฿633
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.82 ฿61.4
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.84 ฿95.7
-
🚌 Getting Around
Herat
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.45 ฿48.93
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$56.7 ฿1,909
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.02 ฿102
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.02 ฿34.29
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.69 ฿124
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$1.47 ฿49.70
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$26.8K ฿902.4K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$26.7K ฿899.5K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Herat
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$312 ؋20.3K
$96.4 ฿3,247
224.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$11.26 ฿380
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$16.85 ฿568
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Herat
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.41 ؋1,001
$67.2 ฿2,266
-77.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.73 ฿361
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$7.50 ฿253
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Herat
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$476 ฿16.0K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.3K ฿379.6K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Herat
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$62.4 ฿2,102
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$28.41 ฿957
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$94.3 ฿3,178
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$85.8 ฿2,892
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Herat
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$716 ฿24.1K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$491 ฿16.5K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,927 ฿64.9K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,431 ฿48.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,175 ฿140.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,045 ฿102.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Herat
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿16.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20
5.57
259.07%

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

Last update for Herat: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Herat
–
Phuket
$491
Groceries & Markets
Herat
–
Phuket
$266
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Herat
–
Phuket
$124
Clothing & Footwear
Herat
–
Phuket
$122
Eating Out
Herat
–
Phuket
$122
Sport & Entertainment
Herat
–
Phuket
$82
Getting Around
Herat
–
Phuket
$71

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Herat versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $48 vs $266 – making Herat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇫 Herat
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
10:57 10:57 AM
13:27 1:27 PM
2 h 30 min ahead of Herat
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
349,000
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 64.93 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.28 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Herat Phuket 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Herat
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Herat vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Herat cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 220%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $598 per month in Herat and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do food prices compare in Herat and in Phuket?
Groceries cost about 450% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Herat or in Phuket?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Herat and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Herat or in Phuket?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Herat, where all-in costs run around $399, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Herat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Herat or in Phuket?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $399 in Herat to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Herat vs other spots: cost of living compared

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