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 $433 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $641 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $848 in Mardan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 184% 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

$4.63 ฿151

$2.18 PKR 607

112.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$14.39 PKR 4,012

225.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.35 PKR 1,491

65.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 PKR 488

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 PKR 1,097

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.06 PKR 574

45.63%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.29 PKR 79.8

155.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.22 PKR 61.0

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.78 PKR 216

189.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.65 PKR 182

183.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.84 PKR 233

166.67%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.16 PKR 322

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.03 PKR 1,680

226.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.39 PKR 666

52.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$3.10 PKR 866

322.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$0.74 PKR 205

358.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.55 PKR 152

198.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.95 PKR 266

153.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.30 PKR 84.8

576.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.24 PKR 66.8

550.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.37 PKR 102

305.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.31 PKR 86.1

229.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.15 PKR 41.17

226.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.98 PKR 552

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PKR 243

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 PKR 554

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.37 PKR 383

224.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.18 PKR 49.01

677.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$7.04 PKR 1,964

63.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.36 PKR 102

766.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.34 PKR 96.0

194.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$1.81 PKR 506

678.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.97 PKR 271

39.18%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.8K PKR 5.8M

30.54%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.2K PKR 7.3M

25.50%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$114 PKR 31.8K

9.48%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.37 PKR 1,497

152.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$18.43 PKR 5,137

0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$12.43 PKR 3,464

394.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$5.91 PKR 1,647

184.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.18 PKR 1,165

119.86%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$17.36 PKR 4,839

3922.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,128 PKR 314.4K

1282.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$21.42 PKR 5,970

169.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$27.91 PKR 7,781

26.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$89.5 PKR 25.0K

26.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$17.55 PKR 4,893

392.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$75.8 PKR 21.1K

712.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$51.6 PKR 14.4K

763.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$164 PKR 45.8K

1146.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$108 PKR 30.1K

1281.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$270 PKR 75.2K

94.26%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mardan: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $75.8 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 94% 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 184% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 94% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $75.8 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $17.36 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 $433 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 184% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.