Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Karak

For one person, living is cheaper in Karak: $430 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Karak
Learn more

Karak Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Karak

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Karak

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $430 in Karak, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Karak $430

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $640 in Karak, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Karak $640

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $851 in Karak, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Karak $851

Phuket costs about 181% more than Karak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Karak are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Karak 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$0.74 PKR 204

518.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$7.19 PKR 1,990

351.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.58 PKR 1,545

53.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.70 PKR 194

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 PKR 1,945

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$0.51 PKR 142

433.33%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.35 PKR 98.2

168.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.21 PKR 57.9

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.00 PKR 276

74.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.52 PKR 143

175.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.07 PKR 295

42.99%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.06 PKR 292

104.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$1.76 PKR 488

988.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$2.97 PKR 821

11.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$4.24 PKR 1,174

162.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$0.71 PKR 196

315.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.51 PKR 142

229.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$0.74 PKR 205

210.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.55 PKR 153

287.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.27 PKR 74.5

466.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.35 PKR 97.6

288.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.18 PKR 49.31

522.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.26 PKR 72.1

111.54%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.80 PKR 499

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 PKR 342

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 PKR 672

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.25 PKR 623

89.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.19 PKR 53.0

1068.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$10.28 PKR 2,844

114.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.24 PKR 343

134.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.75 PKR 208

34.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.60 PKR 442

139.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.39 PKR 384

7.19%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$22.0K PKR 6.1M

21.49%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$23.8K PKR 6.6M

12.25%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$100 PKR 27.7K

-0.70%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$5.89 PKR 1,630

91.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$16.82 PKR 4,655

3.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$16.83 PKR 4,658

210.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$6.94 PKR 1,922

56.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$4.39 PKR 1,215

72.44%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$74.2 PKR 20.5K

652.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$1,051 PKR 290.9K

992.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$25.72 PKR 7,120

144.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$34.50 PKR 9,550

-17.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$95.7 PKR 26.5K

0.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$40.26 PKR 11.1K

118.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$131 PKR 36.4K

455.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$71.6 PKR 19.8K

542.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$257 PKR 71.1K

715.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$162 PKR 44.8K

655.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$899 PKR 248.9K

284.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$554 PKR 153.3K

349.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.08

-57.42%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Karak: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Karak

$72 16.7% 84.4% $388

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Karak

$74 17.3% 72.3% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Karak

$123 28.6% 4.1% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Karak

$88 20.6% 28.8% $36

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Karak

$31 7.2% 74.4% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Karak

$26 6% 62% $42

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Karak

$16 3.7% 58.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $131 in Karak. 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $7.00 in Karak. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $74.0 – making Karak the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇰 Karak

🕒 Local time

11:26 11:26 AM

09:26 9:26 AM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

51,149

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Karak 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Karak

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 Karak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 181% more than Karak, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $644 in Karak. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 115% less in Karak. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $74.2 in Karak. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Karak, where all-in costs run around $430, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Karak it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Karak costs $430 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Karak. 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.