Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mardan and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $502 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
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Mardan Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$502

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $502 in Mardan versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Mardan $502
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $788 in Mardan versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Mardan $788
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,074 in Mardan versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Mardan $1,074
Phuket $3,154

Living in Mardan costs roughly 61% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mardan 63% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 PKR 978

$4.47 ฿151

-21.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.47 PKR 6,495

$32.41 ฿1,093

-27.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 PKR 1,504

$8.81 ฿297

-38.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 PKR 1,013

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 PKR 1,872

Cappuccino

$2.55 PKR 705

$2.83 ฿95.4

-9.89%

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

$0.34 PKR 94.7

$0.87 ฿29.41

-60.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.9

$0.49 ฿16.65

-53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 250

$1.66 ฿55.9

-45.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 PKR 216

$1.46 ฿49.31

-46.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$1.50 ฿50.5

-14.00%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 337

$2.09 ฿70.5

-41.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.93 PKR 811

$19.07 ฿643

-84.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 PKR 878

$3.30 ฿111

-3.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.72 PKR 1,029

$10.91 ฿368

-65.90%

Apples (1kg)

$0.87 PKR 240

$2.93 ฿98.9

-70.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 PKR 203

$1.69 ฿57.0

-56.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 PKR 286

$2.25 ฿75.8

-54.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.5

$2.08 ฿70.0

-83.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.27 PKR 74.2

$1.51 ฿51.0

-82.12%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$1.38 ฿46.52

-72.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 77.2

$1.07 ฿35.96

-73.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 PKR 96.0

$0.52 ฿17.51

-32.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 496

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 333

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 642

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 PKR 508

$4.20 ฿142

-56.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 54.5

$1.45 ฿48.98

-86.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.72 PKR 2,966

$56.7 ฿1,912

-81.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 PKR 352

$3.02 ฿102

-57.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 PKR 190

$1.02 ฿34.33

-32.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 PKR 442

$3.69 ฿125

-56.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 PKR 292

$1.47 ฿49.76

-28.57%

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

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-18.69%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-11.69%

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

$104 PKR 28.7K

$96.4 ฿3,251

7.52%

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

$6.02 PKR 1,666

$11.26 ฿380

-46.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.99 PKR 4,701

$16.85 ฿568

0.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.89 PKR 3,566

$67.2 ฿2,268

-80.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.04 PKR 2,223

$10.73 ฿362

-25.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 PKR 1,353

$7.50 ฿253

-34.80%

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

$42.07 PKR 11.6K

$476 ฿16.1K

-91.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,058 PKR 292.8K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-90.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.98 PKR 7,188

$62.4 ฿2,104

-58.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 PKR 9,583

$28.41 ฿958

21.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 PKR 26.7K

$94.3 ฿3,181

2.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.12 PKR 11.1K

$85.8 ฿2,895

-53.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$134 PKR 37.1K

$716 ฿24.2K

-81.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

$491 ฿16.6K

-82.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 PKR 73.1K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-86.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 PKR 50.3K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-87.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$865 PKR 239.3K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-79.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$578 PKR 159.9K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-81.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

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 Mardan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mardan

$127 25.2%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 1.7% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Mardan

$89 17.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 37.4% $33

Accommodation & Living

Mardan

$86 17.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 471% $405

Groceries & Markets

Mardan

$84 16.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 216% $182

Eating Out

Mardan

$77 15.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 57.2% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Mardan

$23 4.5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 263% $60

Getting Around

Mardan

$16 3.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 335% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $134 in Mardan and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Mardan vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $84 vs $266 per month, with Mardan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Mardan

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

14:17 2:17 PM

2 h ahead of Mardan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

358,604

79,308

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to PKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mardan Phuket 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Mardan
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

Mardan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan is about 61% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $753 in Mardan and $1,917 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $134 in Mardan versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $42 in Mardan versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 216% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $502 in Mardan versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mardan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mardan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.