Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qalyub

For one person, living is cheaper in Qalyub: $451 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Qalyub, Egypt
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Qalyub
🇪🇬 Egypt
$451
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Qalyub

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $451 in Qalyub.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Qalyub $451

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $740 in Qalyub.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Qalyub $740

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,028 in Qalyub.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Qalyub $1,028

Living in Phuket is roughly 168% more expensive than in Qalyub, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Qalyub
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿148
$4.33 E£241
1.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,088
$19.25 E£1,073
67.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿296
$4.73 E£264
85.20%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$1.32 E£73.5
114.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.42
$0.29 E£16.43
210.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.71
$0.13 E£7.38
261.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿86.0
$1.32 E£73.3
93.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿129
$2.29 E£128
67.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Qalyub
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿58.2
$0.82 E£45.70
110.98%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.56
$0.70 E£39.29
110.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.59 E£32.92
155.93%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.3
$1.13 E£62.8
92.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿664
$3.80 E£212
418.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿113
$4.35 E£242
-23.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿376
$9.12 E£508
22.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿96.0
$1.54 E£86.0
85.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿57.5
$0.78 E£43.67
117.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.9
$0.57 E£31.54
284.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿69.0
$0.33 E£18.27
521.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿49.02
$0.24 E£13.37
504.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.59
$0.32 E£18.05
331.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿36.02
$0.25 E£13.82
328.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.07
$0.20 E£11.00
155.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿144
$1.93 E£108
120.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿627
$5.77 E£322
222.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿60.2
$1.19 E£66.6
49.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿96.0
$2.21 E£123
28.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Qalyub
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿76.3
$0.20 E£11.12
1030.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿745
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿102
$0.40 E£22.23
652.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.67
$0.20 E£11.21
430.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿130
$1.20 E£66.8
221.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.90
$0.42 E£23.69
245.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.1K
$32.3K E£1.8M
-18.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿908.8K
$26.9K E£1.5M
0.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Qalyub
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$14.31 E£798
573.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿372
$6.72 E£375
64.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿578
$13.08 E£729
31.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Qalyub
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,760
$16.40 E£915
218.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿376
$0.91 E£51.0
1126.37%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿263
$2.77 E£155
181.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Qalyub
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.8K
$86.6 E£4,832
541.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿390.6K
$2,104 E£117.3K
450.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Qalyub
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,166
$33.54 E£1,870
91.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿968
$45.09 E£2,515
-36.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,217
$117 E£6,499
-18.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,968
$56.0 E£3,123
57.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Qalyub
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.9K
$132 E£7,358
458.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.6K
$76.8 E£4,281
502.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.7K
$251 E£14.0K
733.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.5K
$144 E£8,034
733.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿117.6K
$752 E£41.9K
363.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿85.1K
$357 E£19.9K
607.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Qalyub
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
16.21
-65.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Qalyub
$77 83.4% $386
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Qalyub
$126 53.3% $143
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Qalyub
$34 72.6% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Qalyub
$113 9.1% $11
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Qalyub
$78 36.1% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Qalyub
$22 67.6% $46
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Qalyub
$2.2 * 94.4% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $132 in Qalyub. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $19 in Qalyub for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $126 per month, with Qalyub cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇪🇬 Qalyub
🕒 Local time
12:36 12:36 PM
08:36 8:36 AM
4 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
109,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.84 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 55.77 EGP (100 EGP = 1.79 USD). 1 EUR = 62.57 EGP (100 EGP = 1.6 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Qalyub 7,380 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Qalyub

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 Qalyub: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Qalyub cheaper than Phuket?
Qalyub is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. The 168% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $677 in Qalyub 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Qalyub?
Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $132 in Qalyub. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $87 in Qalyub. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Qalyub?
Dining out is cheaper in Qalyub – a meal for two runs $19 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Qalyub?
At $451 in Qalyub versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Qalyub but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Qalyub the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Qalyub?
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.

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