Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al-qardahah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-qardahah: $642 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Al-qardahah, Syria
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Al-qardahah
🇸🇾 Syria
$642
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Al-qardahah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Al-qardahah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $642 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Al-qardahah $642

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $1,016 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Al-qardahah $1,016

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $1,390 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Al-qardahah $1,390

Phuket costs about 101% more than Al-qardahah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Al-qardahah are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Al-qardahah 52% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Al-qardahah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿147
$10.06 SYP 1,222
-56.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,085
$42.56 SYP 5,171
-24.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿292
$6.89 SYP 837
26.27%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.5
$3.64 SYP 442
-25.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.25
$2.23 SYP 271
-58.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.78
$0.86 SYP 105
-41.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.0
$1.94 SYP 236
30.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$3.90 SYP 474
-6.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Al-qardahah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.4
$1.05 SYP 128
65.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.73
$0.45 SYP 54.3
222.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.61 SYP 196
-6.83%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.0
$1.57 SYP 191
38.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿641
$3.98 SYP 484
379.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿114
$5.56 SYP 675
-38.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿366
$13.71 SYP 1,665
-20.50%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.8
$1.03 SYP 126
185.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.8
$1.38 SYP 168
22.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.7
$1.14 SYP 138
92.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.4
$1.07 SYP 130
98.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.99
$0.79 SYP 95.5
84.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.95
$0.76 SYP 91.9
80.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.14
$0.44 SYP 53.5
145.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.32
$0.66 SYP 80.1
-16.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$2.71 SYP 329
63.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿613
$4.94 SYP 600
269.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.5
$1.15 SYP 140
53.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.8
$2.81 SYP 342
2.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Al-qardahah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.62
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,844
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.8
$0.99 SYP 120
52.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.06
$1.49 SYP 181
-47.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$7.80 SYP 948
-50.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.96
$3.63 SYP 441
-58.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿902.9K
$15.0K SYP 1.8M
79.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿884.9K
$19.3K SYP 2.3M
36.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Al-qardahah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,285
$142 SYP 17.2K
-31.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿379
$9.67 SYP 1,175
16.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿577
$45.85 SYP 5,570
-62.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Al-qardahah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,295
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿367
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿250
$5.56 SYP 675
33.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Al-qardahah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.8K
$66.9 SYP 8,128
692.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿630.9K
$1,770 SYP 215.1K
960.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Al-qardahah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,072
$28.37 SYP 3,447
117.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿949
$39.44 SYP 4,792
-28.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,225
$61.0 SYP 7,406
57.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,916
$57.8 SYP 7,020
50.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Al-qardahah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.2K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.1K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.5K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿46.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿140.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Al-qardahah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.5K
-
-
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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Al-qardahah: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Al-qardahah
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Al-qardahah
$167 37.5% $100
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Al-qardahah
$197 56.3% $71
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Al-qardahah
$84 31.6% $39
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Al-qardahah
$175 46.1% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Al-qardahah
$11 * 86.6% $72
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Al-qardahah
$8.4 * 87.3% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $43 in Al-qardahah. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Phuket vs $167 in Al-qardahah – so Al-qardahah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇸🇾 Al-qardahah
🕒 Local time
16:54 4:54 PM
12:54 12:54 PM
4 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 137 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.32 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Al-qardahah 7,000 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Al-qardahah

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
Phuket vs Al-qardahah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Al-qardahah cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 101%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $963 in Al-qardahah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Al-qardahah?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $43 in Al-qardahah. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Al-qardahah?
Groceries cost about 60% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Al-qardahah?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-qardahah, where all-in costs run around $642, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Al-qardahah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Al-qardahah?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $642 in Al-qardahah to $1,294 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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