Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Herat

For one person, living is cheaper in Herat: $399 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Herat

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Herat

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $399 in Herat, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Herat $399

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $478 in Herat, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Herat $478

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $558 in Herat, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Herat $558

Phuket costs about 220% more than Herat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Herat are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Herat 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$9.41 ؋611

244.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.75 ؋243

134.93%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 ؋98.4

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 ؋511

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$0.79 ؋51.5

258.23%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.44 ؋28.56

97.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.61 ؋39.47

172.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.89 ؋123

10.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.28 ؋408

73.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$0.63 ؋41.15

365.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$0.75 ؋48.82

125.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.64 ؋41.71

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.30 ؋19.37

403.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.32 ؋20.80

331.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.30 ؋19.18

73.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ؋30.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.17 ؋206

32.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$312 ؋20.3K

-69.17%

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$15.41 ؋1,001

336.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-72.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Herat: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Herat

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Herat

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Herat

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Herat

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Herat

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Herat

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Herat

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $9 in Herat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $48 – making Herat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇫 Herat

🕒 Local time

14:31 2:31 PM

12:01 12:01 PM

2 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

349,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 64.93 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.46 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Herat 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Herat

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 Herat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 220%, 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 $598 in Herat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 450% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $9 in Herat. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Herat, where all-in costs run around $399, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Herat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $399 in Herat to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.