Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al-qardahah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al-qardahah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $526 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $819 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $1,113 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

Phuket costs about 138% more than Al-qardahah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Al-qardahah are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Al-qardahah 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.89 SYP 716

-22.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$27.02 SYP 3,284

70.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$5.58 SYP 678

58.42%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.49 SYP 181

105.37%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.13 SYP 138

-35.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.72 SYP 87.0

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.62 SYP 197

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.54 SYP 308

48.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.97 SYP 117

132.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.60 SYP 72.8

201.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.68 SYP 204

33.93%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.87 SYP 227

20.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$3.04 SYP 369

541.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.44 SYP 904

-50.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.45 SYP 1,391

13.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$0.94 SYP 115

243.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.80 SYP 218

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.02 SYP 124

133.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$0.89 SYP 109

128.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.66 SYP 80.4

131.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.66 SYP 80.5

127.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.40 SYP 49.21

145.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.58 SYP 69.9

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.04 SYP 370

46.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.04 SYP 977

127.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.98 SYP 119

89.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.75 SYP 213

53.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.99 SYP 120

214.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.22 SYP 148

-14.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$6.47 SYP 787

118.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$3.78 SYP 459

-65.34%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$18.3K SYP 2.2M

51.63%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.7K SYP 2.5M

60.76%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$101 SYP 12.3K

20.80%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.20 SYP 996

65.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$55.2 SYP 6,712

-66.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.07 SYP 374

195.44%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$44.51 SYP 5,409

1487.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$1,843 SYP 224.0K

757.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$29.18 SYP 3,546

100.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$26.02 SYP 3,162

35.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$45.33 SYP 5,508

154.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$55.3 SYP 6,720

51.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.75

-61.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Al-qardahah: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $27.00 in Al-qardahah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $171 – making Al-qardahah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Phuket vs Al-qardahah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 138%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $789 in Al-qardahah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $27.00 in Al-qardahah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al-qardahah, where all-in costs run around $526, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Al-qardahah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-qardahah – 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 Al-qardahah. 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.