Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mazar-i-Sharif Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mazar-i-Sharif

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $668 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $844 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,020 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Living in Phuket is roughly 87% more expensive than in Mazar-i-Sharif, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Mazar-i-Sharif 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.22 ؋146

104.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$14.21 ؋934

224.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$3.32 ؋218

166.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 ؋236

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 ؋470

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.11 ؋73.2

175.68%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.52 ؋34.48

40.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.27 ؋17.88

48.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.55 ؋36.05

310.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.20 ؋13.08

805.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.62 ؋107

38.89%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.60 ؋105

40.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$5.05 ؋332

286.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.68 ؋242

-0.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$5.45 ؋359

139.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$0.54 ؋35.44

498.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.93 ؋61.0

74.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$0.74 ؋48.39

221.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$0.57 ؋37.45

256.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.46 ؋30.48

232.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.39 ؋25.34

284.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.39 ؋25.35

151.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.28 ؋18.31

85.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.78 ؋117

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ؋26.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 ؋77.5

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.17 ؋76.7

279.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.52 ؋34.47

171.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$21.27 ؋1,398

-44.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.70 ؋46.12

344.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.37 ؋90.2

-24.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$1.41 ؋92.5

900.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.15 ؋75.3

13.91%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$10.0K ؋660.6K

176.78%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$40.0K ؋2.6M

-16.96%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$109 ؋7,151

12.55%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$15.86 ؋1,042

-14.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$282 ؋18.5K

-93.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$10.88 ؋715

455.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$3.53 ؋232

381.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.38 ؋288

107.08%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$28.45 ؋1,870

2382.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$12.03 ؋791

386.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$17.09 ؋1,123

389.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$85.2 ؋5,600

634.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$43.01 ؋2,827

934.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$145 ؋9,558

1303.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$70.8 ؋4,652

2008.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$229 ؋15.0K

118.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $85.2 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 119% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $91.0 per month, with Mazar-i-Sharif 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 Mazar-i-Sharif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 119% higher in Phuket, 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: $626 in Phuket versus $85.2 in Mazar-i-Sharif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Mazar-i-Sharif – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mazar-i-Sharif but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mazar-i-Sharif the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mazar-i-Sharif 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 Mazar-i-Sharif 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 Mazar-i-Sharif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.