Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kerman

For one person, living is cheaper in Kerman: $503 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Kerman, Iran
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Kerman
🇮🇷 Iran
$503
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kerman

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $503 in Kerman, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Kerman $503

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $873 in Kerman, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Kerman $873

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $1,243 in Kerman, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Kerman $1,243

Phuket costs about 157% more than Kerman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Kerman are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Kerman 63% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Kerman
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿147
$3.95 $3.95
11.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,078
$18.13 $18.13
78.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿290
$3.91 $3.91
122.51%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.73 $0.73
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.11 $1.11
-
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿90.9
$1.09 $1.09
149.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.06
$0.65 $0.65
43.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.67
$1.03 $1.03
-51.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿84.5
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿121
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Kerman
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$0.53 $0.53
228.30%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.42
$0.52 $0.52
178.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.1
$2.71 $2.71
-44.65%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.5
$1.10 $1.10
97.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿637
$4.32 $4.32
341.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿113
$1.92 $1.92
77.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿364
$10.30 $10.30
5.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.2
$0.62 $0.62
374.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.5
$2.02 $2.02
-16.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.2
$0.88 $0.88
148.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿70.9
$0.56 $0.56
278.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.68
$0.41 $0.41
256.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.66
$0.42 $0.42
226.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿35.91
$0.56 $0.56
92.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.21
$0.17 $0.17
223.53%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.78 $0.78
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.55 $0.55
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.37 $1.37
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿148
$1.47 $1.47
201.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿609
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.2
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.2
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Kerman
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.32
$0.14 $0.14
935.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,832
$9.79 $9.79
460.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.5
$0.39 $0.39
287.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿25.90
$0.29 $0.29
168.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿128
$2.53 $2.53
51.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.65
$0.09 $0.09
1555.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿897.3K
$46.4K $46.4K
-42.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.4K
$42.1K $42.1K
-37.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Kerman
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,265
$10.89 $10.89
798.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿377
$1.57 $1.57
619.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿574
$3.85 $3.85
346.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Kerman
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,281
$13.24 $13.24
416.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿365
$13.56 $13.56
-19.47%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿248
$1.96 $1.96
279.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Kerman
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.7K
$106 $106
399.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿626.9K
$2,399 $2,399
682.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Kerman
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,059
$21.75 $21.75
183.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿943
$66.0 $66.0
-57.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,204
$127 $127
-24.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,898
$56.6 $56.6
53.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Kerman
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.1K
$342 $342
110.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.0K
$166 $166
207.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.1K
$849 $849
129.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿46.6K
$402 $402
247.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿139.9K
$894 $894
368.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.1K
$509 $509
548.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Kerman
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.4K
$205 $205
139.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
24.3
-77.08%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kerman: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Kerman
$166 67.4% $343
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Kerman
$107 59.9% $160
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Kerman
$16 87.1% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Kerman
$122 0.5% $0.6
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Kerman
$63 47.3% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Kerman
$17 79.4% $66
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Kerman
$12 81.6% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $342 in Kerman. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Phuket are about 2.4 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $18 in Kerman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $107 – making Kerman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇮🇷 Kerman
🕒 Local time
01:05 1:05 AM
21:35 9:35 PM
3 h 30 min behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
537,718
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.51 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Kerman 4,960 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Kerman

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 Kerman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Kerman compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,294 in Phuket, $503 in Kerman – Kerman comes out roughly 61% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Kerman?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $755 in Kerman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Kerman?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kerman, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $342 there versus $721 in Phuket.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $18 in Kerman. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Kerman?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $503 in Kerman. That makes Kerman about 61% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kerman, where all-in costs run around $503, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Kerman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Phuket or Kerman?
Families tend to lean toward Kerman – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Phuket or Kerman safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Phuket and Kerman?
If budget matters most, go with Kerman. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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