Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Islamabad and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Islamabad: $599 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Islamabad
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Islamabad Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Islamabad

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$599

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Islamabad 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 Islamabad and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $599 per month in Islamabad vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Islamabad $599
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $930 per month in Islamabad vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Islamabad $930
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,261 per month in Islamabad vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Islamabad $1,261
Phuket $2,867

Islamabad is about 50% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Islamabad and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Islamabad 56% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 PKR 1,004

$4.58 ฿153

-20.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.40 PKR 6,478

$32.48 ฿1,086

-27.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 PKR 1,534

$8.55 ฿286

-35.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 PKR 987

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 PKR 1,864

Cappuccino

$2.64 PKR 730

$2.72 ฿91.0

-2.94%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.6

$0.94 ฿31.25

-65.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.7

$0.49 ฿16.39

-53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 PKR 259

$1.74 ฿58.1

-45.98%

White Bread (500g)

$0.72 PKR 200

$1.43 ฿47.82

-49.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 361

$1.53 ฿51.0

-15.03%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$2.17 ฿72.7

-43.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.05 PKR 1,674

$19.15 ฿640

-68.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 PKR 855

$3.30 ฿110

-6.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 PKR 1,482

$11.14 ฿372

-51.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 350

$2.95 ฿98.5

-57.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 241

$1.68 ฿56.1

-48.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$2.30 ฿76.8

-54.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 PKR 146

$2.13 ฿71.3

-75.12%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.2

$1.53 ฿51.1

-81.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 99.4

$1.36 ฿45.55

-73.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.4

$1.12 ฿37.44

-75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 PKR 108

$0.55 ฿18.24

-29.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.95 PKR 539

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 PKR 331

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 PKR 743

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 PKR 619

$4.26 ฿142

-47.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 43.07

$2.22 ฿74.1

-92.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.34 PKR 5,905

$22.06 ฿737

-3.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 PKR 344

$2.91 ฿97.3

-57.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 PKR 204

$1.01 ฿33.79

-26.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$3.83 ฿128

-58.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 PKR 378

$1.49 ฿49.85

-8.05%

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

$54.5K PKR 15.1M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

104.25%

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

$23.9K PKR 6.6M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-10.68%

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

$103 PKR 28.6K

$99.4 ฿3,321

3.91%

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

$5.99 PKR 1,658

$11.28 ฿377

-46.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.15 PKR 4,746

$17.36 ฿580

-1.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.20 PKR 7,806

$52.3 ฿1,747

-46.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.47 PKR 2,344

$10.85 ฿362

-21.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.43 PKR 1,226

$7.57 ฿253

-41.48%

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

$75.7 PKR 20.9K

$558 ฿18.7K

-86.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,004 PKR 1.4M

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-56.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.72 PKR 7,118

$62.9 ฿2,102

-59.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 PKR 9,543

$28.58 ฿955

20.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 PKR 26.4K

$96.1 ฿3,213

-0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.32 PKR 11.4K

$88.1 ฿2,943

-53.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 PKR 76.5K

$729 ฿24.4K

-62.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$139 PKR 38.3K

$460 ฿15.4K

-69.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 PKR 158.2K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-72.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 PKR 74.9K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-77.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 PKR 450.8K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-52.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 PKR 231.5K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-66.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 PKR 105.2K

$493 ฿16.5K

-22.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

5.57

134.83%

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

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Islamabad

$139 23.1%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 232% $321

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Islamabad

$126 21.1%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 1.3% $1.6

Groceries & Markets

Islamabad

$102 17%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 162% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Islamabad

$89 14.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 39.9% $35

Eating Out

Islamabad

$80 13.3%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 52.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Islamabad

$37 6.2%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 81.9% $30

Getting Around

Islamabad

$27 4.5%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 44.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Islamabad versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Islamabad versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $102 vs $268 – making Islamabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Islamabad

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

23:41 11:41 PM

01:41 1:41 AM

2 h ahead of Islamabad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,009,832 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Islamabad Phuket 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Islamabad
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

Islamabad vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 101%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $899 per month in Islamabad and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 162% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Islamabad and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Islamabad, where all-in costs run around $599, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Islamabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Islamabad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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