Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Khost Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Khost

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $399 in Khost.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $595 in Khost.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $791 in Khost.

Living in Phuket is roughly 209% more expensive than in Khost, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Khost 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.71 ؋175

62.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$7.65 ؋493

321.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$4.65 ؋299

92.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 ؋146

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ؋121

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$1.13 ؋72.8

156.64%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.49 ؋31.34

79.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.15 ؋9.53

220.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$0.87 ؋55.9

114.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.25 ؋16.15

488.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.80 ؋116

-13.89%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.59 ؋103

32.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$4.32 ؋279

353.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.89 ؋251

-12.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$6.82 ؋439

66.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$0.72 ؋46.69

313.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.84 ؋54.3

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$0.95 ؋61.2

132.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$0.55 ؋35.36

292.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.60 ؋38.67

153.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.50 ؋32.36

168.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.30 ؋19.49

276.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.39 ؋25.31

41.03%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.88 ؋121

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ؋47.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 ؋67.0

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.44 ؋157

74.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.44 ؋28.31

406.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$18.82 ؋1,213

20.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.81 ؋52.0

274.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.48 ؋31.12

112.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$2.37 ؋153

64.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.03 ؋66.7

44.66%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$8,376 ؋539.8K

217.37%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$34.9K ؋2.3M

-22.58%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$43.16 ؋2,782

137.42%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$12.84 ؋827

-11.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$96.3 ؋6,209

-81.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$7.61 ؋490

584.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$5.98 ؋386

85.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$2.37 ؋152

224.47%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$20.46 ؋1,319

2640.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$1,043 ؋67.2K

1003.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$10.49 ؋676

500.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$16.27 ؋1,048

81.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$57.5 ؋3,704

70.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$24.65 ؋1,589

259.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$30.67 ؋1,976

2306.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$15.67 ؋1,010

2978.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$76.4 ؋4,922

2658.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$45.39 ؋2,925

2600.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$185 ؋12.0K

166.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Khost: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $30.67 in Khost. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 166% 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 Khost for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $102 per month, with Khost 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 Khost: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khost is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 209% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 166% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $30.67 in Khost. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Khost – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $399 in Khost – a 209% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $399 in Khost versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Khost but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Khost the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Khost is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Khost 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 Khost gentler on the wallet – expenses run 209% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.