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 $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $640 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $1,016 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $1,393 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

Phuket costs about 93% more than Al-qardahah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Al-qardahah are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Al-qardahah 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$9.83 SYP 1,194

-55.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$44.94 SYP 5,460

-28.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$6.86 SYP 833

30.17%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.79 SYP 460

-23.48%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$2.29 SYP 278

-61.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.87 SYP 106

-44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.92 SYP 233

22.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.06 SYP 372

21.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.09 SYP 133

71.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.42 SYP 51.0

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.64 SYP 200

-5.49%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.57 SYP 191

33.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$3.87 SYP 471

406.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.69 SYP 691

-39.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$13.55 SYP 1,647

-16.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.02 SYP 124

192.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.41 SYP 172

19.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.09 SYP 132

102.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.03 SYP 125

109.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.75 SYP 91.6

102.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.79 SYP 96.2

69.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.40 SYP 48.87

182.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.61 SYP 74.2

-9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.82 SYP 343

51.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$6.07 SYP 737

214.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.10 SYP 134

61.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.91 SYP 354

-4.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.02 SYP 124

197.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$1.54 SYP 187

-33.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.84 SYP 953

-50.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$3.67 SYP 446

-59.40%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$14.8K SYP 1.8M

79.61%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$19.0K SYP 2.3M

42.00%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$137 SYP 16.7K

-25.33%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$9.45 SYP 1,148

19.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$45.65 SYP 5,547

-61.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.40 SYP 656

42.41%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$66.7 SYP 8,108

740.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$1,806 SYP 219.5K

536.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$28.38 SYP 3,449

122.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$40.11 SYP 4,873

-26.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$60.0 SYP 7,288

63.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$57.9 SYP 7,032

52.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

14.25

-60.91%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Al-qardahah: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $45.00 in Al-qardahah. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Phuket vs $168 in Al-qardahah – so Al-qardahah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 93%, 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $960 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 $32.00 in Phuket and $45.00 in Al-qardahah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% 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 $640, than in Phuket at $1,232. 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.