Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nawabshah

For one person, living is cheaper in Nawabshah: $485 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Nawabshah
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Nawabshah Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Nawabshah

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$485

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Nawabshah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $485 in Nawabshah.

Phuket $1,278
Nawabshah $485

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $734 in Nawabshah.

Phuket $2,216
Nawabshah $734

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $982 in Nawabshah.

Phuket $3,154
Nawabshah $982

Living in Phuket is roughly 164% more expensive than in Nawabshah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Nawabshah 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.22 PKR 613

101.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$12.65 PKR 3,501

156.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.30 PKR 1,465

66.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 PKR 592

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 PKR 2,047

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.12 PKR 588

33.49%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.41 PKR 114

112.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.25 PKR 69.7

96.00%

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

$0.92 PKR 255

80.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.55 PKR 153

165.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.19 PKR 329

26.05%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.27 PKR 352

64.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.68 PKR 1,570

235.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.12 PKR 862

5.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.31 PKR 1,747

72.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.24 PKR 342

136.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.55 PKR 152

207.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.98 PKR 272

129.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.55 PKR 153

278.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.31 PKR 87.1

387.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.31 PKR 86.9

345.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.44 PKR 122

143.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.44 PKR 122

18.18%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.27 PKR 352

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 PKR 362

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 675

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

$0.17 PKR 48.14

752.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$9.23 PKR 2,555

513.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.86 PKR 237

251.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.75 PKR 208

36.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.12 PKR 587

74.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.38 PKR 381

6.52%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$18.1K PKR 5.0M

48.13%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$25.4K PKR 7.0M

4.91%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$115 PKR 31.7K

-15.98%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$5.86 PKR 1,622

92.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$13.36 PKR 3,695

26.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$13.74 PKR 3,801

389.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$8.83 PKR 2,443

21.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.45 PKR 1,232

68.54%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$66.5 PKR 18.4K

615.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$1,934 PKR 535.2K

482.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$17.46 PKR 4,831

257.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$22.19 PKR 6,140

28.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$67.1 PKR 18.6K

40.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$40.03 PKR 11.1K

114.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$137 PKR 37.9K

422.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$84.9 PKR 23.5K

477.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$265 PKR 73.4K

626.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$183 PKR 50.6K

682.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$853 PKR 235.9K

389.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$574 PKR 158.9K

430.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$129 PKR 35.6K

290.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.21

-57.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nawabshah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Nawabshah

$85 17.5% 82.7% $406

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Nawabshah

$101 20.8% 62.1% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Nawabshah

$134 27.6% 7.6% $9.4

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Nawabshah

$66 13.6% 45.8% $56

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Nawabshah

$62 12.7% 49.3% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Nawabshah

$23 4.7% 72.5% $60

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Nawabshah

$15 3% 79.4% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $137 in Nawabshah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 3.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $13 in Nawabshah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $101 per month, with Nawabshah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇰 Nawabshah

🕒 Local time

07:21 7:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

263,102

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Nawabshah 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Nawabshah

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 Nawabshah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nawabshah wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Nawabshah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Phuket is about 3.9 times higher, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $137 in Nawabshah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 164% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nawabshah – a meal for two runs $13 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $485 in Nawabshah versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Nawabshah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nawabshah 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 Nawabshah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.