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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $425 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $639 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $852 in Mardan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 188% more expensive than Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Mardan 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$2.16 PKR 601

108.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$14.27 PKR 3,966

226.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$5.24 PKR 1,458

62.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 PKR 497

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 PKR 1,085

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.02 PKR 560

52.48%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.29 PKR 79.8

134.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.24 PKR 66.8

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$0.77 PKR 213

184.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.63 PKR 175

187.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.84 PKR 235

165.48%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.18 PKR 329

89.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$6.10 PKR 1,696

221.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$2.37 PKR 658

56.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$3.25 PKR 903

314.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$0.69 PKR 191

386.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$0.50 PKR 140

224.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$0.96 PKR 266

151.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$0.33 PKR 91.9

503.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.24 PKR 66.3

537.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.36 PKR 101

302.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.33 PKR 92.0

206.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.14 PKR 39.76

242.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.45 PKR 404

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 PKR 257

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 PKR 562

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$1.45 PKR 404

194.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.15 PKR 42.86

846.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$6.98 PKR 1,941

67.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.34 PKR 93.5

782.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.35 PKR 96.4

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$1.80 PKR 499

672.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$0.98 PKR 271

31.63%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$20.9K PKR 5.8M

34.38%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$26.1K PKR 7.2M

28.58%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$113 PKR 31.5K

7.68%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$5.55 PKR 1,543

150.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$18.61 PKR 5,173

1.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$12.45 PKR 3,462

392.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$5.99 PKR 1,666

181.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$4.28 PKR 1,189

107.71%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$17.48 PKR 4,860

3855.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$1,117 PKR 310.7K

1346.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$21.77 PKR 6,053

165.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$28.11 PKR 7,815

25.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$88.0 PKR 24.5K

28.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$18.03 PKR 5,012

360.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$74.8 PKR 20.8K

710.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$51.3 PKR 14.3K

773.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$169 PKR 47.1K

1097.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$105 PKR 29.1K

1326.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$752 PKR 209.0K

376.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$436 PKR 121.1K

493.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$275 PKR 76.4K

83.73%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Mardan: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $74.8 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 84% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $78.0 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 188% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 84% more on average, 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: $607 in Phuket versus $74.8 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 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 273% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $425 in Mardan versus $1,223 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 188% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.