Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mahabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $528 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
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Mahabad Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mahabad

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $528 in Mahabad, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Mahabad $528

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $831 in Mahabad, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Mahabad $831

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $1,135 in Mahabad, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Mahabad $1,135

Phuket costs about 145% more than Mahabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Mahabad are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Mahabad 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$2.92 $2.92

50.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,080

$16.31 $16.31

98.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿291

$3.99 $3.99

118.05%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.1

$1.13 $1.13

140.71%

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

$0.93 ฿31.11

$0.51 $0.51

82.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.70

$0.99 $0.99

-49.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$0.68 $0.68

155.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$0.51 $0.51

184.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$2.09 $2.09

-28.23%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.6

$1.24 $1.24

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿638

$4.47 $4.47

327.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$3.34 $3.34

1.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$7.85 $7.85

38.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.3

$1.03 $1.03

185.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$1.59 $1.59

6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.4

$0.86 $0.86

154.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.0

$0.57 $0.57

271.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.77

$0.57 $0.57

156.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.74

$0.47 $0.47

191.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.98

$0.54 $0.54

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.24 $0.24

129.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$2.46 $2.46

80.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿610

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.40

$0.14 $0.14

935.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,835

$9.67 $9.67

467.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$0.44 $0.44

243.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.94

$0.31 $0.31

151.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$2.63 $2.63

46.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.74

$0.10 $0.10

1390.00%

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

$26.9K ฿898.9K

$50.0K $50.0K

-46.21%

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

$26.3K ฿881.0K

$45.4K $45.4K

-42.00%

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

$97.8 ฿3,271

$12.98 $12.98

653.54%

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

$11.29 ฿378

$1.57 $1.57

619.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿575

$3.81 $3.81

351.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,285

$18.40 $18.40

271.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

$13.52 $13.52

-19.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$2.04 $2.04

264.22%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$107 $107

394.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿628.1K

$2,442 $2,442

669.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,062

$22.95 $22.95

168.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿945

$27.82 $27.82

1.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,210

$98.5 $98.5

-2.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,903

$73.7 $73.7

17.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$290 $290

148.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$212 $212

140.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.2K

$806 $806

141.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.7K

$356 $356

292.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.2K

$1,134 $1,134

269.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.3K

$541 $541

509.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$254 $254

93.92%

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 Mahabad: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Mahabad

$212 40.2% 58.4% $297

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Mahabad

$108 20.4% 59.7% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Mahabad

$18 3.5% 85.5% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Mahabad

$100 19% 18.3% $22

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Mahabad

$55 10.4% 54.1% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Mahabad

$22 4.3% 73% $61

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Mahabad

$12 2.3% 81.5% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $290 in Mahabad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 94% higher in Phuket, 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 $16 in Mahabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $108 – making Mahabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🕒 Local time

09:10 9:10 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

3 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

208,541

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Mahabad 6,200 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mahabad

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 Mahabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 145%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $792 in Mahabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Phuket and $107 in Mahabad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 148% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahabad, where all-in costs run around $528, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Mahabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mahabad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Mahabad. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.