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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,318 in Qairawan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,238 in Qairawan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,157 in Qairawan.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 5% less than in Qairawan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Qairawan 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.72 KWD 2.39

-41.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$58.5 KWD 18.14

-21.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.76 KWD 2.71

0.91%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 KWD 0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 KWD 1.05

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$5.34 KWD 1.65

-42.70%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.58 KWD 0.18

25.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.36 KWD 0.11

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.47 KWD 0.46

53.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.10 KWD 0.34

64.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.65 KWD 0.51

36.36%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.04 KWD 0.63

10.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$4.38 KWD 1.36

345.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.41 KWD 1.99

-43.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.52 KWD 2.95

37.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.30 KWD 0.71

40.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.60 KWD 0.50

1.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.53 KWD 0.47

55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.43 KWD 0.44

41.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.27 KWD 0.39

20.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.11 KWD 0.34

35.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.61 KWD 0.50

-39.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.45 KWD 0.14

15.56%

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)

$1.37 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.92 KWD 0.90

52.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.88 KWD 0.27

60.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$44.22 KWD 13.70

-73.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.24 KWD 1.00

-4.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.20 KWD 0.99

-67.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$16.54 KWD 5.12

-14.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.34 KWD 0.11

285.29%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$20.1K KWD 6,216

38.68%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$19.4K KWD 6,020

70.99%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$62.1 KWD 19.25

97.10%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$18.09 KWD 5.61

-24.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$26.13 KWD 8.10

-28.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$95.3 KWD 29.54

-36.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$46.20 KWD 14.32

-63.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$11.65 KWD 3.61

-22.15%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$279 KWD 86.5

153.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$6,047 KWD 1,874

161.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$41.38 KWD 12.82

41.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$42.79 KWD 13.26

-17.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$86.4 KWD 26.77

33.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$83.2 KWD 25.79

0.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$796 KWD 247

-21.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$608 KWD 188

-26.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,582 KWD 490

29.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,285 KWD 398

16.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.14

-25.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Qairawan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $796 in Qairawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in Qairawan. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $167, 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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,978 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: $626 in Phuket versus $796 in Qairawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $279 in Qairawan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Qairawan pay roughly 74% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,318 in Qairawan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Qairawan. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Qairawan, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Qairawan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.