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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $289 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $453 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $617 in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Living in Phuket is roughly 334% more expensive than in Mazar-i-Sharif, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Mazar-i-Sharif 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.32 ؋149

96.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$15.11 ؋974

115.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$3.84 ؋247

131.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.50 ؋484

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 ؋488

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.3

$1.17 ؋75.6

139.32%

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

$0.88 ฿28.96

$0.54 ؋34.68

62.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.09

$0.29 ؋18.68

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$0.59 ؋38.21

203.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.43

$0.16 ؋10.16

800.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$2.02 ؋130

-21.78%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿70.0

$1.61 ؋104

32.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$7.76 ؋500

156.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$3.37 ؋217

1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿373

$6.16 ؋397

83.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$0.56 ؋35.89

426.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.11 ؋71.5

54.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$0.81 ؋52.3

186.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.5

$0.64 ؋40.97

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.37

$0.49 ؋31.89

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$0.38 ؋24.54

257.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.15

$0.51 ؋32.77

115.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.90

$0.31 ؋20.00

83.87%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 ؋117

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$1.56 ؋101

173.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.78 ؋50.3

184.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.50 ؋96.8

162.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.09

$1.46 ؋94.1

2.05%

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

$27.1K ฿892.5K

$10.1K ؋650.8K

168.73%

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

$27.5K ฿903.2K

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

$103 ฿3,382

$79.4 ؋5,120

29.44%

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

$10.99 ฿362

$16.71 ؋1,077

-34.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,761

$11.48 ؋740

366.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$3.71 ؋239

201.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$4.59 ؋296

62.96%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$76.0 ؋4,902

632.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿390.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,108

$13.04 ؋840

391.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿957

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,157

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,972

$18.26 ؋1,178

394.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$226 ؋14.5K

123.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Phuket pays 123% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $105 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, Getting Around. The 334% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 123% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 161% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,253 per month in Phuket versus $289 in Mazar-i-Sharif – a 334% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $289 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $1,253 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 334% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.