Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mardan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $502 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
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Mardan Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mardan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $502 in Mardan.

Phuket $1,278
Mardan $502

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $788 in Mardan.

Phuket $2,216
Mardan $788

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,074 in Mardan.

Phuket $3,154
Mardan $1,074

Living in Phuket is roughly 155% more expensive than in Mardan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Mardan 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.53 PKR 978

26.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$23.47 PKR 6,495

38.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.44 PKR 1,504

61.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.66 PKR 1,013

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.77 PKR 1,872

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.55 PKR 705

10.98%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.34 PKR 94.7

155.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.23 PKR 63.9

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.90 PKR 250

84.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.78 PKR 216

87.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.29 PKR 358

16.28%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.22 PKR 337

71.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$2.93 PKR 811

550.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.17 PKR 878

4.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$3.72 PKR 1,029

193.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$0.87 PKR 240

236.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.73 PKR 203

131.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.03 PKR 286

118.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.35 PKR 96.5

494.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.27 PKR 74.2

459.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.38 PKR 106

263.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.28 PKR 77.2

282.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.35 PKR 96.0

48.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 496

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 333

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 642

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.84 PKR 508

128.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.20 PKR 54.5

625.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$10.72 PKR 2,966

428.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.27 PKR 352

137.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.69 PKR 190

47.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.60 PKR 442

130.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.05 PKR 292

40.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

22.98%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

13.23%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$104 PKR 28.7K

-7.00%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$6.02 PKR 1,666

87.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$16.99 PKR 4,701

-0.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$12.89 PKR 3,566

421.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$8.04 PKR 2,223

33.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.89 PKR 1,353

53.37%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$42.07 PKR 11.6K

1031.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$1,058 PKR 292.8K

964.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$25.98 PKR 7,188

140.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$34.63 PKR 9,583

-17.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$96.3 PKR 26.7K

-2.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$40.12 PKR 11.1K

113.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$134 PKR 37.1K

433.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$86.0 PKR 23.8K

471.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$264 PKR 73.1K

629.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$182 PKR 50.3K

686.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$865 PKR 239.3K

382.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$578 PKR 159.9K

426.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mardan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Mardan

$86 17.1% 82.5% $405

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Mardan

$84 16.8% 68.4% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Mardan

$127 25.2% 1.7% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mardan

$89 17.7% 27.2% $33

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mardan

$77 15.4% 36.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Mardan

$23 4.5% 72.4% $60

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Mardan

$16 3.2% 77% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $134 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $23 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $84 per month, with Mardan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇰 Mardan

🕒 Local time

12:52 12:52 PM

10:52 10:52 AM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

358,604

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Mardan 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mardan

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 Mardan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan is about 61% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $753 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: $716 in Phuket versus $134 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $42 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 216% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $502 in Mardan versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.