Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mardan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mardan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $500 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $767 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,033 in Mardan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 146% more expensive than in Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Mardan 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.59 PKR 994

22.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$23.00 PKR 6,371

40.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.53 PKR 1,531

61.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 PKR 994

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 PKR 1,918

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.62 PKR 725

10.69%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.36 PKR 98.5

144.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.23 PKR 64.0

108.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.91 PKR 252

105.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.79 PKR 220

86.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.29 PKR 357

20.16%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.21 PKR 336

73.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$2.97 PKR 823

559.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.12 PKR 864

9.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$3.74 PKR 1,035

204.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$0.94 PKR 260

217.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.74 PKR 205

127.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.06 PKR 295

108.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.37 PKR 103

483.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.28 PKR 78.3

442.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.35 PKR 98.2

282.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.28 PKR 76.4

303.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.37 PKR 103

48.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.77 PKR 489

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 PKR 326

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 PKR 746

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.78 PKR 493

139.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.16 PKR 43.23

1293.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$10.72 PKR 2,970

112.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.30 PKR 359

133.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.74 PKR 205

37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.66 PKR 460

134.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.02 PKR 283

46.08%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$21.4K PKR 5.9M

23.94%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$24.0K PKR 6.7M

12.57%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$104 PKR 28.9K

-1.62%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$5.69 PKR 1,575

99.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$15.72 PKR 4,353

10.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$14.73 PKR 4,079

253.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.34 PKR 1,203

77.19%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$75.2 PKR 20.8K

645.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$1,028 PKR 284.9K

1018.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$24.74 PKR 6,852

154.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$34.30 PKR 9,501

-13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

-0.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$40.71 PKR 11.3K

117.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$128 PKR 35.4K

478.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$78.1 PKR 21.6K

517.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$250 PKR 69.4K

741.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$151 PKR 41.7K

713.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$994 PKR 275.4K

263.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$591 PKR 163.8K

340.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Mardan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $128 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $85.0 per month, with Mardan 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 Mardan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 146% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $750 in Mardan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $128 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $75.2 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 221% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

For families, Mardan 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 Mardan 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 Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.