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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $424 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $638 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $851 in Mardan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 198% more expensive than in Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Mardan 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.06 PKR 571

117.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$14.31 PKR 3,970

218.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.36 PKR 1,487

63.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 PKR 1,110

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.00 PKR 556

48.50%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.31 PKR 87.1

122.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.24 PKR 66.7

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.77 PKR 214

179.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.62 PKR 171

193.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.84 PKR 233

159.52%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.19 PKR 331

89.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.33 PKR 1,756

215.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.31 PKR 641

57.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$3.26 PKR 904

315.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$0.69 PKR 191

369.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.55 PKR 152

198.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.96 PKR 268

142.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.33 PKR 92.6

527.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.24 PKR 66.6

545.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.37 PKR 102

294.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.33 PKR 91.8

196.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.13 PKR 35.05

269.23%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.43 PKR 396

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PKR 243

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 PKR 543

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$1.43 PKR 398

204.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.18 PKR 49.54

688.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$6.89 PKR 1,911

67.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.36 PKR 101

780.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.34 PKR 94.9

202.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.81 PKR 502

667.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.89 PKR 248

50.56%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$21.3K PKR 5.9M

30.71%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$26.3K PKR 7.3M

26.80%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$112 PKR 31.1K

9.70%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$5.55 PKR 1,540

148.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$18.45 PKR 5,120

-0.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$12.30 PKR 3,414

393.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$5.99 PKR 1,664

186.48%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.26 PKR 1,181

108.22%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$17.48 PKR 4,851

3835.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,112 PKR 308.7K

1318.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$21.33 PKR 5,920

178.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$27.63 PKR 7,669

25.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$89.2 PKR 24.8K

29.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$17.39 PKR 4,827

381.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$75.5 PKR 21.0K

722.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$51.8 PKR 14.4K

760.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$167 PKR 46.3K

1119.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$105 PKR 29.1K

1326.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$867 PKR 240.6K

298.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$511 PKR 141.9K

394.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

20.2

-73.61%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mardan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $75.5 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $79.0 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 198% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $636 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: $621 in Phuket versus $75.5 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $17.48 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 269% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $424 in Mardan versus $1,264 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 198% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.