Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gonbad-e Kavus

For one person, living is cheaper in Gonbad-e Kavus: $515 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Gonbad-e Kavus
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Gonbad-e Kavus Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Gonbad-e Kavus

🇮🇷 Iran

$515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Gonbad-e Kavus

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 Gonbad-e Kavus actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $515 in Gonbad-e Kavus, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Gonbad-e Kavus $515

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $819 in Gonbad-e Kavus, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Gonbad-e Kavus $819

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,123 in Gonbad-e Kavus, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Gonbad-e Kavus $1,123

Phuket costs about 148% more than Gonbad-e Kavus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Gonbad-e Kavus are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Gonbad-e Kavus 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.88 $2.88

55.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$16.03 $16.03

102.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.84 $3.84

129.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.70 $0.70

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 $1.16

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.09 $1.09

159.63%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.46 $0.46

89.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.99 $0.99

-50.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.69 $0.69

140.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.51 $0.51

186.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.99 $1.99

-24.62%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.23 $1.23

69.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$4.48 $4.48

325.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.31 $3.31

-0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.16 $10.16

7.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.01 $1.01

190.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.55 $1.55

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.83 $0.83

171.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.56 $0.56

271.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.58 $0.58

160.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.48 $0.48

187.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.54 $0.54

98.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.23 $0.23

126.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.81 $0.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.44 $2.44

72.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.14 $0.14

935.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$8.18 $8.18

592.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.42 $0.42

619.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.29 $0.29

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.54 $2.54

45.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.09 $0.09

1533.33%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$47.8K $47.8K

-44.00%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$44.1K $44.1K

-39.43%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$13.11 $13.11

634.94%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$1.58 $1.58

612.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$4.49 $4.49

275.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$18.79 $18.79

257.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$14.80 $14.80

-27.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$1.72 $1.72

336.05%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$99.5 $99.5

378.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$2,394 $2,394

370.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$22.78 $22.78

173.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$31.18 $31.18

-8.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$89.5 $89.5

5.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$63.9 $63.9

34.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$278 $278

157.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$202 $202

142.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$782 $782

146.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$350 $350

309.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,142 $1,142

265.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$540 $540

463.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.3

-77.08%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gonbad-e Kavus: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$202 39.3% 58.8% $288

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$114 22.1% 57.4% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$19 3.7% 84.6% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$93 18.1% 23.5% $29

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$53 10.4% 56.1% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$22 4.3% 73% $60

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Gonbad-e Kavus

$11 2.1% 85% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $278 in Gonbad-e Kavus. 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 $16 in Gonbad-e Kavus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $114 – making Gonbad-e Kavus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇷 Gonbad-e Kavus

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

08:00 8:00 AM

3 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

151,910

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Gonbad-e Kavus 5,440 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Gonbad-e Kavus

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 Gonbad-e Kavus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 148%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $772 in Gonbad-e Kavus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gonbad-e Kavus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $278 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $515 in Gonbad-e Kavus. That makes Gonbad-e Kavus about 60% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 86% less in Gonbad-e Kavus. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Gonbad-e Kavus, where all-in costs run around $515, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Gonbad-e Kavus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gonbad-e Kavus – 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, Gonbad-e Kavus is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 60% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.