Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Herat Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Herat

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $567 in Herat, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $732 in Herat, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $898 in Herat, rent included.

Phuket costs about 123% more than Herat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Herat are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Herat 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.10 ؋133

123.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$8.41 ؋534

439.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.88 ؋247

117.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ؋136

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 ؋467

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$0.73 ؋46.64

301.37%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.52 ؋33.01

32.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.12 ؋7.62

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.48 ؋30.44

364.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.30 ؋19.18

510.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.86 ؋181

-24.13%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.01 ؋128

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$2.80 ؋178

605.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.63 ؋167

38.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$5.58 ؋355

142.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$0.73 ؋46.55

349.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.69 ؋43.60

133.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.55 ؋34.91

338.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.60 ؋37.88

246.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.60 ؋37.99

155.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.35 ؋22.21

322.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.28 ؋17.72

82.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ؋56.6

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.82 ؋116

142.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.28 ؋17.73

389.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.12 ؋135

42.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.37 ؋87.1

-27.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.41 ؋280

219.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.04 ؋66.1

30.77%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$122 ฿3,975

$183 ؋11.6K

-33.56%

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

$13.57 ฿443

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$145 ؋9,184

-87.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$14.34 ؋911

319.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$14.54 ؋923

4669.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$21.37 ؋1,357

178.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$21.81 ؋1,385

59.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$28.50 ؋1,810

302.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$36.23 ؋2,301

129.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$70.7 ؋4,492

766.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$42.90 ؋2,725

918.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$114 ؋7,259

1732.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$70.7 ؋4,487

2036.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-73.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Herat: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $70.7 in Herat. 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 $45.00 in Phuket versus $8.00 in Herat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $84.0 – making Herat the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 123%, 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $850 in Herat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Herat, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Phuket and $567 in Herat. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Phuket and $14.54 in Herat. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Herat, where all-in costs run around $567, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Herat it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Herat – 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 Herat. 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.