Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gilgit

For one person, living is cheaper in Gilgit: $447 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Gilgit
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Gilgit Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Gilgit

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Gilgit

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 Gilgit actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $447 in Gilgit, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Gilgit $447

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $670 in Gilgit, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Gilgit $670

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $894 in Gilgit, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Gilgit $894

Phuket costs about 190% more than Gilgit, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Gilgit are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Gilgit 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$1.49 PKR 411

194.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,078

$10.71 PKR 2,962

201.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿290

$5.32 PKR 1,473

63.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 PKR 690

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 PKR 1,407

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿90.9

$1.59 PKR 441

71.07%

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

$0.93 ฿31.06

$0.32 PKR 88.2

190.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.67

$0.23 PKR 62.7

117.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.81 PKR 223

114.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$0.62 PKR 172

133.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.1

$1.13 PKR 312

32.74%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.5

$1.15 PKR 317

88.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿637

$5.63 PKR 1,557

239.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿113

$2.46 PKR 681

38.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$4.84 PKR 1,339

125.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.2

$1.12 PKR 309

162.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$0.58 PKR 160

191.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.2

$0.78 PKR 216

180.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿70.9

$0.52 PKR 143

307.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.68

$0.28 PKR 77.3

421.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.66

$0.38 PKR 106

260.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.91

$0.43 PKR 119

151.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$0.38 PKR 104

44.74%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.89 PKR 522

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 PKR 303

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 674

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$1.97 PKR 545

124.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿609

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.16 PKR 43.69

806.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,832

$10.05 PKR 2,781

446.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$1.07 PKR 295

41.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.90

$0.71 PKR 196

9.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$1.62 PKR 448

137.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.65

$1.17 PKR 325

27.35%

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

$26.9K ฿897.3K

$22.0K PKR 6.1M

22.33%

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

$26.3K ฿879.4K

$23.2K PKR 6.4M

13.42%

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

$97.8 ฿3,265

$101 PKR 27.8K

-2.73%

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

$11.29 ฿377

$5.66 PKR 1,567

99.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿574

$14.23 PKR 3,936

20.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,281

$14.85 PKR 4,107

360.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

$7.85 PKR 2,173

39.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$4.25 PKR 1,176

74.82%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$42.28 PKR 11.7K

1154.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿626.9K

$1,047 PKR 289.7K

1693.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,059

$16.72 PKR 4,625

268.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿943

$22.58 PKR 6,246

25.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,204

$67.5 PKR 18.7K

42.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,898

$32.35 PKR 8,948

168.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$134 PKR 37.2K

436.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

491.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.1K

$272 PKR 75.2K

616.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.6K

$178 PKR 49.2K

685.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿139.9K

$810 PKR 224.2K

417.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.1K

$499 PKR 138.0K

560.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-57.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gilgit: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Gilgit

$86 19.3% 83.1% $423

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Gilgit

$90 20.1% 66.4% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Gilgit

$120 27% 4.6% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Gilgit

$63 14% 49% $60

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Gilgit

$49 11% 58.9% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Gilgit

$23 5.2% 71.9% $60

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Gilgit

$15 3.4% 76.9% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $134 in Gilgit. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $11 in Gilgit. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $90 – making Gilgit the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇰 Gilgit

🕒 Local time

02:46 2:46 AM

00:46 12:46 AM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

216,760

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Gilgit 3,960 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Gilgit

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 Gilgit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 190% more than Gilgit, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $670 in Gilgit. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gilgit, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $134 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 198% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $11 in Gilgit. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Gilgit, where all-in costs run around $447, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Gilgit it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gilgit – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Gilgit is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 65% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.