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 $497 in Kabul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $680 in Kabul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $864 in Kabul.

Living in Phuket is roughly 155% more expensive than in Kabul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Kabul 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$2.81 ؋181

65.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$7.70 ؋495

318.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$4.45 ؋286

95.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ؋144

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ؋119

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.11 ؋71.2

161.26%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.48 ؋30.89

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.13 ؋8.39

276.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.88 ؋56.5

114.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.23 ؋14.76

513.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.78 ؋115

-8.99%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.58 ؋102

41.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$4.23 ؋272

369.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$3.99 ؋256

-12.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$6.55 ؋421

73.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$0.73 ؋46.78

297.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.90 ؋57.9

91.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.95 ؋61.1

138.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.54 ؋34.50

294.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.62 ؋40.17

137.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.51 ؋32.83

178.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.28 ؋17.78

292.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.36 ؋23.09

66.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 ؋119

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ؋47.71

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 ؋67.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.43 ؋156

77.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.13 ؋8.43

1630.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$20.53 ؋1,320

14.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.11 ؋136

46.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.48 ؋30.93

125.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$2.66 ؋171

45.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.99 ؋63.4

44.44%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$8,551 ؋549.8K

224.93%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$33.8K ؋2.2M

-20.23%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$42.79 ؋2,751

144.92%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$12.63 ؋812

-9.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$97.8 ؋6,289

-82.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$11.19 ؋720

385.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$3.97 ؋255

188.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$2.32 ؋149

235.34%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$19.89 ؋1,279

2798.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$1,043 ؋67.0K

1010.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$10.49 ؋675

506.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$16.10 ؋1,035

80.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$57.5 ؋3,695

67.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$25.12 ؋1,615

258.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$124 ؋7,996

489.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$108 ؋6,957

362.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$216 ؋13.9K

884.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$116 ؋7,462

979.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$688 ؋44.2K

413.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$355 ؋22.8K

637.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$333 ؋21.4K

52.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kabul: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $124 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 52% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $8.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $101 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 155% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $497 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Phuket, 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: $733 in Phuket versus $124 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 14% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $19.89 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $497 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 155% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.