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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $417 in Kabul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $604 in Kabul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $790 in Kabul.

Living in Phuket is roughly 200% more expensive than in Kabul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.66 ؋175

71.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,550

$10.83 ؋712

326.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.24 ؋279

108.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 ؋153

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ؋110

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.01 ؋66.6

202.97%

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

$0.73 ฿24.36

$0.34 ؋22.04

114.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.37

$0.15 ؋9.87

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿75.8

$0.71 ؋46.73

218.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$0.17 ؋11.49

964.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.70 ؋112

32.35%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.4

$1.43 ؋94.1

57.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿655

$3.76 ؋247

418.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿122

$3.27 ؋215

11.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿438

$5.91 ؋389

120.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$0.57 ؋37.42

466.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$0.74 ؋48.77

118.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.0

$0.70 ؋45.92

240.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.0

$0.47 ؋30.95

331.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$0.45 ؋29.46

240.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.43 ؋28.13

248.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$0.25 ؋16.46

292.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.36

$0.36 ؋23.39

44.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.76 ؋116

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ؋61.9

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ؋101

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.55 ؋168

74.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.37

$0.21 ؋13.80

571.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$9.94 ؋654

17.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿104

$1.69 ؋111

84.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.00

$0.52 ؋34.44

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.50 ؋164

464.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.02

$0.98 ؋64.4

33.67%

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$7,814 ؋513.6K

255.98%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$31.9K ؋2.1M

4.12%

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

$122 ฿4,110

$50.4 ؋3,310

143.13%

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

$13.59 ฿456

$14.12 ؋928

-3.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿628

$90.5 ؋5,949

-79.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,031

$9.10 ؋598

564.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

$3.83 ؋252

343.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.20 ؋145

312.27%

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

$706 ฿23.7K

$18.59 ؋1,222

3699.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.5K

$1,453 ؋95.5K

987.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,965

$9.12 ؋600

542.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,187

$17.07 ؋1,122

107.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,876

$32.63 ؋2,145

253.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,811

$27.45 ؋1,805

205.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$85.4 ؋5,614

632.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.9K

$57.7 ؋3,795

671.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.5K

$198 ؋13.0K

930.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.1K

$110 ؋7,199

1262.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

$744 ؋48.9K

368.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

$407 ؋26.8K

532.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$330 ؋21.7K

51.42%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kabul: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $85.4 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 51% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $87.0 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 200% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $417 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $85.4 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 18% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $18.59 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $417 in Kabul versus $1,250 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 200% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.