Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mazar-i-Sharif and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif: $292 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Mazar-i-Sharif
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Mazar-i-Sharif Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Mazar-i-Sharif

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$292

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $292 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Mazar-i-Sharif $292
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $461 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Mazar-i-Sharif $461
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $630 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Mazar-i-Sharif $630
Phuket $2,845

Living in Mazar-i-Sharif costs roughly 76% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mazar-i-Sharif 78% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.38 ؋154

$4.40 ฿147

-45.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.47 ؋1,003

$32.26 ฿1,078

-52.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ؋260

$8.76 ฿293

-54.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.54 ؋489

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.50 ؋486

Cappuccino

$1.23 ؋79.8

$2.83 ฿94.5

-56.54%

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

$0.57 ؋36.96

$0.90 ฿30.14

-36.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ؋19.28

$0.47 ฿15.56

-36.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 ؋42.20

$1.73 ฿57.7

-62.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.15 ؋9.99

$1.47 ฿49.11

-89.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 ؋136

$1.51 ฿50.6

39.07%

Eggs

$1.65 ؋107

$2.17 ฿72.7

-23.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 ؋486

$19.70 ฿658

-61.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ؋214

$3.34 ฿112

-1.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.09 ؋395

$11.16 ฿373

-45.43%

Apples (1kg)

$0.59 ؋38.30

$2.85 ฿95.1

-79.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 ؋73.5

$1.70 ฿56.9

-33.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.82 ؋53.2

$2.19 ฿73.3

-62.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 ؋39.27

$2.05 ฿68.4

-70.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 ؋30.46

$1.45 ฿48.57

-67.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 ؋24.88

$1.38 ฿46.16

-72.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ؋36.54

$1.07 ฿35.69

-47.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ؋20.97

$0.51 ฿16.91

-37.25%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 ؋121

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 ؋102

$4.26 ฿142

-63.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 ؋52.2

$2.26 ฿75.6

-64.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ؋98.7

$3.86 ฿129

-60.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 ؋99.4

$1.45 ฿48.45

5.52%

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

$9,927 ؋643.5K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-62.30%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

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

$83.3 ؋5,399

$96.4 ฿3,221

-13.59%

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

$16.98 ؋1,101

$11.04 ฿369

53.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.53 ؋747

$52.2 ฿1,744

-77.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.87 ؋251

$11.16 ฿373

-65.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.68 ؋304

$7.81 ฿261

-40.08%

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

$76.6 ؋4,967

$556 ฿18.6K

-86.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.93 ؋838

$64.2 ฿2,146

-79.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.48 ؋1,198

$88.0 ฿2,940

-79.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$235 ؋15.2K

$501 ฿16.7K

-53.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mazar-i-Sharif

$105 35.8%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 157% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mazar-i-Sharif

$100 * 34.3%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 24.2% $24

Eating Out

Mazar-i-Sharif

$49 16.9%

Phuket

$121 10% 146% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Mazar-i-Sharif

$21 7.2%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 225% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Mazar-i-Sharif

$14 * 4.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 780% $110

Getting Around

Mazar-i-Sharif

$3.2 * 1.1%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 1125% $36

Accommodation & Living

Mazar-i-Sharif

- * 0%

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Phuket pays 113% 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: $15.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $105 vs $269 per month, with Mazar-i-Sharif cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Mazar-i-Sharif

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

12:13 12:13 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Mazar-i-Sharif

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300,600

79,308

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 64.83 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.88 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AFN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mazar-i-Sharif Phuket 4,500 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Mazar-i-Sharif
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

Mazar-i-Sharif vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 313% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 113% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 157% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $292 per month in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,208 in Phuket – a 313% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $292 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mazar-i-Sharif but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mazar-i-Sharif the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mazar-i-Sharif is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mazar-i-Sharif and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mazar-i-Sharif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 313% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.