Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kabul Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kabul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $416 in Kabul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $602 in Kabul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $787 in Kabul.

Living in Phuket is roughly 204% more expensive than Kabul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kabul 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.53 ؋161

85.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$10.74 ؋682

322.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.37 ؋278

92.91%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ؋143

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ؋107

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.01 ؋64.0

190.10%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.36 ؋22.93

91.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.13 ؋8.10

184.62%

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

$0.71 ؋44.85

214.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.21 ؋13.14

771.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.70 ؋108

27.65%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.42 ؋90.0

55.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$3.84 ؋244

414.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.35 ؋213

8.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.00 ؋381

125.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$0.53 ؋33.75

518.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.80 ؋50.8

101.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.75 ؋47.84

221.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.46 ؋29.36

352.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.48 ؋30.44

218.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.43 ؋26.99

244.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.23 ؋14.60

330.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.33 ؋20.72

54.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.97 ؋125

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ؋59.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ؋93.9

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.64 ؋168

67.05%

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

$0.21 ؋13.31

552.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$9.87 ؋627

15.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.76 ؋112

71.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.55 ؋35.21

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.59 ؋164

444.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.95 ؋60.1

43.16%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$7,763 ؋493.0K

263.28%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$32.1K ؋2.0M

2.36%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$50.3 ؋3,196

141.85%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$13.77 ؋874

-1.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$91.6 ؋5,819

-80.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$9.06 ؋575

564.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$3.88 ؋247

341.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.21 ؋140

293.21%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$18.18 ؋1,155

3714.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,414 ؋89.8K

1009.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$9.57 ؋608

522.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$17.44 ؋1,108

99.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$32.79 ؋2,082

249.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$28.41 ؋1,804

193.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$85.0 ؋5,398

621.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$58.5 ؋3,715

647.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$203 ؋12.9K

933.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$111 ؋7,037

1262.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$732 ؋46.5K

412.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$410 ؋26.1K

537.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$351 ؋22.3K

44.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

18.5

-71.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kabul: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $85.0 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $88.0 per month, with Kabul cheaper across the board.

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 Kabul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Kabul differ by about 204% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $416 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 45% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $85.0 in Kabul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kabul runs roughly 15% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $18.18 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $416 in Kabul versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kabul but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kabul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kabul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kabul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 204% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.