Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qairawan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qairawan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,259 in Qairawan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,146 in Qairawan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $3,033 in Qairawan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than in Qairawan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Qairawan 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$7.97 KWD 2.44

-41.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$59.1 KWD 18.12

-45.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$8.29 KWD 2.54

4.70%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 KWD 0.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 KWD 1.02

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$5.07 KWD 1.55

-42.80%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.56 KWD 0.17

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.38 KWD 0.12

28.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.32 KWD 0.41

43.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.85 KWD 0.26

65.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.90 KWD 0.58

-14.74%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.06 KWD 0.63

8.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$4.41 KWD 1.35

349.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$5.63 KWD 1.73

-38.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.40 KWD 3.19

9.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.44 KWD 0.75

18.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.92 KWD 0.59

-10.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.32 KWD 0.41

71.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.54 KWD 0.47

38.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.39 KWD 0.43

5.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.96 KWD 0.29

47.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.61 KWD 0.49

-31.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.47 KWD 0.14

27.66%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.31 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 KWD 0.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.69 KWD 0.82

60.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.78 KWD 0.24

188.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.30 KWD 1.01

-6.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$3.32 KWD 1.02

-67.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$16.45 KWD 5.04

-76.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.35 KWD 0.11

308.57%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$21.3K KWD 6,524

30.58%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$20.4K KWD 6,259

32.19%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$65.0 KWD 19.93

61.21%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$21.21 KWD 6.50

-46.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$29.58 KWD 9.07

-40.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$96.0 KWD 29.43

-43.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$11.12 KWD 3.41

-30.04%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$275 KWD 84.3

109.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$7,505 KWD 2,301

54.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$37.86 KWD 11.61

68.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$39.21 KWD 12.02

-25.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$97.7 KWD 29.96

-1.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$87.5 KWD 26.84

2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$720 KWD 221

1.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$586 KWD 180

-14.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,771 KWD 543

20.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$1,369 KWD 420

-8.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.53

-14.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Qairawan: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $720 in Qairawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in Qairawan. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $165, with Qairawan cheaper for home cooking.

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 Qairawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qairawan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,888 in Qairawan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $720 in Qairawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $275 in Qairawan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Qairawan – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,259 in Qairawan versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qairawan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Qairawan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Qairawan 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 Qairawan 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 Qairawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.