Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khost and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Khost: $403 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Khost, Afghanistan
Phuket, Thailand
Khost
🇦🇫 Afghanistan
$403
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $403 in Khost versus $1,294 in Phuket.

  • Khost $403
  • Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $593 in Khost versus $2,204 in Phuket.

  • Khost $593
  • Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $783 in Khost versus $3,115 in Phuket.

  • Khost $783
  • Phuket $3,115

Living in Khost costs roughly 69% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Khost 70% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Khost
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.70 ؋175
$4.39 ฿147
-38.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$7.50 ؋487
$32.31 ฿1,085
-76.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.71 ؋306
$8.70 ฿292
-45.86%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.34 ؋152
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 ؋122
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.11 ؋72.2
$2.72 ฿91.5
-59.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ؋32.00
$0.93 ฿31.25
-47.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 ؋10.35
$0.50 ฿16.78
-68.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.53 ฿85.0
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.63 ฿122
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Khost
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.82 ؋53.1
$1.74 ฿58.4
-52.87%
White Bread (500g)
$0.25 ؋16.28
$1.45 ฿48.73
-82.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.80 ؋117
$1.50 ฿50.5
20.00%
Eggs
$1.56 ؋101
$2.17 ฿73.0
-28.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.46 ؋290
$19.09 ฿641
-76.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.94 ؋256
$3.40 ฿114
15.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.59 ؋428
$10.90 ฿366
-39.54%
Apples (1kg)
$0.68 ؋43.97
$2.94 ฿98.8
-76.87%
Banana (1kg)
$0.89 ؋57.9
$1.69 ฿56.8
-47.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.94 ؋60.9
$2.19 ฿73.7
-57.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.52 ؋33.59
$2.12 ฿71.4
-75.47%
Potato (1kg)
$0.65 ؋42.26
$1.46 ฿48.99
-55.48%
Onion (1kg)
$0.47 ؋30.68
$1.37 ฿45.95
-65.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.28 ؋18.11
$1.08 ฿36.14
-74.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.37 ؋23.75
$0.55 ฿18.32
-32.73%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$1.87 ؋121
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 ؋51.0
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 ؋68.1
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.41 ؋156
$4.43 ฿149
-45.60%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$18.25 ฿613
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.77 ฿59.5
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.88 ฿96.8
-
🚌 Getting Around
Khost
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.48 ؋31.16
$1.45 ฿48.62
-66.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$18.31 ؋1,190
$54.9 ฿1,844
-66.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.81 ؋52.3
$1.51 ฿50.8
-46.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.45 ؋29.15
$0.78 ฿26.06
-42.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.27 ؋148
$3.84 ฿129
-40.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 ؋70.5
$1.49 ฿49.96
-27.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$8,337 ؋541.7K
$26.9K ฿902.9K
-68.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K ؋2.2M
$26.3K ฿884.9K
28.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khost
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$42.02 ؋2,730
$97.8 ฿3,285
-57.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.11 ؋852
$11.29 ฿379
16.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$95.6 ؋6,214
$17.19 ฿577
456.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Khost
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$7.79 ؋506
$68.3 ฿2,295
-88.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.29 ؋409
$10.92 ฿367
-42.40%
Cinema Ticket
$2.27 ؋148
$7.43 ฿250
-69.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Khost
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$20.48 ؋1,330
$530 ฿17.8K
-96.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,034 ؋67.2K
$18.8K ฿630.9K
-94.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Khost
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$10.84 ؋705
$61.7 ฿2,072
-82.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$15.86 ؋1,031
$28.25 ฿949
-43.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$57.4 ؋3,732
$96.0 ฿3,225
-40.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$25.23 ؋1,639
$86.8 ฿2,916
-70.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Khost
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$31.24 ؋2,030
$721 ฿24.2K
-95.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$15.55 ؋1,010
$509 ฿17.1K
-96.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$77.3 ؋5,024
$1,950 ฿65.5K
-96.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$46.16 ؋2,999
$1,397 ฿46.9K
-96.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,192 ฿140.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,298 ฿110.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Khost
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$188 ؋12.2K
$492 ฿16.5K
-61.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10
5.57
79.53%

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

Last update for Khost: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khost
$151
Phuket
$126 16.2% $24
Groceries & Markets
Khost
$100
Phuket
$267 166% $166
Eating Out
Khost
$52
Phuket
$120 131% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Khost
$49
Phuket
$123 149% $74
Getting Around
Khost
$23
Phuket
$66 184% $43
Accommodation & Living
Khost
$16
Phuket
$509 3173% $493
Sport & Entertainment
Khost
$12
Phuket
$83 575% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $31 in Khost and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.6 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $7 in Khost vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $100 vs $267 per month, with Khost cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇫 Khost
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
07:54 7:54 AM
10:24 10:24 AM
2 h 30 min ahead of Khost
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,987
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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 64.97 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 73.14 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Khost Phuket 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Khost
  • 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
Khost vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Khost cheaper than Phuket?
Khost is about 69% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Khost or Phuket?
On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Khost. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Khost and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $31 in Khost versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Khost or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Khost – a meal for two runs $7 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Khost and in Phuket?
All in, you’ll spend $403 per month in Khost versus $1,294 in Phuket – Khost is about 69% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Khost or in Phuket?
At $403 in Khost versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khost but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Khost the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Khost or in Phuket?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Khost gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Khost vs other spots: cost of living compared

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