Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pokhara Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pokhara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $477 in Pokhara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $747 in Pokhara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,017 in Pokhara.

Living in Phuket is roughly 165% more expensive than in Pokhara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Pokhara 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.78 NPR 272

151.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$14.29 NPR 2,182

219.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.44 NPR 983

36.02%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.04 NPR 158

185.58%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.50 NPR 76.1

38.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.16 NPR 25.15

143.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.53 NPR 386

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.55 NPR 541

5.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.77 NPR 118

179.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.55 NPR 84.6

230.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.80 NPR 122

172.50%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.67 NPR 255

34.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.36 NPR 970

214.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.12 NPR 476

16.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$6.19 NPR 944

119.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.28 NPR 348

42.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.04 NPR 159

57.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.21 NPR 184

92.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.69 NPR 106

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.43 NPR 65.5

260.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.67 NPR 102

117.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.40 NPR 61.6

145.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.25 NPR 38.10

92.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.89 NPR 441

50.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$10.56 NPR 1,612

75.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.35 NPR 359

-20.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.21 NPR 489

-17.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.25 NPR 38.31

468.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$21.99 NPR 3,357

-47.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.20 NPR 336

44.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.82 NPR 125

25.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$3.60 NPR 549

285.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.23 NPR 188

8.94%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$32.5K NPR 5.0M

-14.43%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$38.4K NPR 5.9M

-13.08%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$32.79 NPR 5,004

275.27%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$4.99 NPR 762

175.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$7.57 NPR 1,155

142.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$22.15 NPR 3,381

174.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$9.21 NPR 1,406

86.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$2.76 NPR 422

221.38%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$52.7 NPR 8,037

1206.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$2,161 NPR 329.9K

630.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$20.28 NPR 3,095

192.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$28.00 NPR 4,273

23.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$40.77 NPR 6,222

182.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$34.16 NPR 5,214

145.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$140 NPR 21.3K

344.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$93.4 NPR 14.2K

377.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$263 NPR 40.2K

672.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$175 NPR 26.8K

752.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,797 NPR 274.3K

92.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$616 NPR 94.0K

310.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$176 NPR 26.9K

179.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.08

-55.88%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Pokhara: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $140 in Pokhara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 180% 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 Pokhara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $149 per month, with Pokhara 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 Pokhara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pokhara is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 165% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 180% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $140 in Pokhara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $52.7 in Pokhara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $477 in Pokhara versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pokhara but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pokhara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pokhara 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 Pokhara 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 Pokhara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 165% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.