Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mehar

For one person, living is cheaper in Mehar: $447 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Mehar
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$447
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mehar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $447 in Mehar.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Mehar $447

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $667 in Mehar.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Mehar $667

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $887 in Mehar.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Mehar $887

Living in Phuket is roughly 170% more expensive than in Mehar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Mehar 67% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Mehar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$2.12 PKR 586
107.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$10.76 PKR 2,977
199.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$5.37 PKR 1,487
63.13%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.46 PKR 682
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$5.36 PKR 1,482
-
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$1.58 PKR 437
79.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$0.35 PKR 97.0
157.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$0.17 PKR 48.28
176.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Mehar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$0.84 PKR 231
105.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$0.62 PKR 172
137.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$1.12 PKR 311
34.82%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$1.20 PKR 332
80.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$5.71 PKR 1,580
245.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$2.57 PKR 712
29.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$5.03 PKR 1,391
121.87%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$1.16 PKR 320
145.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$0.55 PKR 151
209.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$0.79 PKR 218
177.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$0.56 PKR 156
266.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$0.30 PKR 83.5
383.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$0.38 PKR 106
263.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$0.42 PKR 115
154.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$0.35 PKR 95.7
45.71%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.81 PKR 502
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.06 PKR 293
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.37 PKR 657
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$2.02 PKR 559
110.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Mehar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$0.20 PKR 54.3
1030.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
$9.77 PKR 2,703
126.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$1.10 PKR 304
173.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$0.71 PKR 196
49.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$1.64 PKR 453
135.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$1.24 PKR 342
16.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$22.1K PKR 6.1M
19.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$24.3K PKR 6.7M
10.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Mehar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$101 PKR 28.0K
-4.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$5.71 PKR 1,581
93.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$14.30 PKR 3,958
19.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Mehar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$15.17 PKR 4,199
243.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
$7.92 PKR 2,191
40.91%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$4.39 PKR 1,215
77.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Mehar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$42.99 PKR 11.9K
1193.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$1,021 PKR 282.7K
1033.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Mehar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$16.60 PKR 4,595
286.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$23.60 PKR 6,531
21.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$67.9 PKR 18.8K
40.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$33.37 PKR 9,235
163.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Mehar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$128 PKR 35.5K
475.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$77.4 PKR 21.4K
497.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$249 PKR 69.0K
739.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$151 PKR 41.8K
695.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$949 PKR 262.6K
267.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$483 PKR 133.8K
421.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Mehar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
$109 PKR 30.0K
361.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
13
-57.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mehar: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Mehar
$77 83.3% $385
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Mehar
$91 66% $177
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Mehar
$121 2.6% $3.2
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Mehar
$64 48.8% $61
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Mehar
$54 55.4% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Mehar
$24 64.7% $44
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Mehar
$15 61.5% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $128 in Mehar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 361% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Mehar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $91.0 per month, with Mehar cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇰 Mehar
🕒 Local time
22:40 10:40 PM
20:40 8:40 PM
2 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Mehar 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Mehar

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 Mehar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Mehar?
Mehar wins on cost – living expenses run 170% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mehar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or in Mehar?
Average pay runs 361% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Mehar?
Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $128 in Mehar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Mehar?
All in, you'll spend $1,208 per month in Phuket versus $447 in Mehar – a 170% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Phuket compared to Mehar?
A monthly transit pass in Mehar runs roughly 126% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Phuket or in Mehar?
At $447 in Mehar versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mehar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mehar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Mehar?
Both work as nomad bases, but Mehar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $447 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mehar hard to pass up.
How safe is Phuket compared to Mehar?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Mehar are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Mehar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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