Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qalyub Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qalyub

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $469 in Qalyub.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $749 in Qalyub.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,028 in Qalyub.

Living in Phuket is roughly 167% more expensive than in Qalyub, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Qalyub 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.29 E£218

6.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,070

$16.77 E£853

94.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿292

$4.78 E£243

86.19%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.0

$1.36 E£69.4

105.88%

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

$0.88 ฿28.88

$0.32 E£16.25

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.05

$0.14 E£6.88

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.4

$1.34 E£68.3

78.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.30 E£117

61.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.6

$0.91 E£46.11

96.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.30

$0.71 E£36.32

102.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.0

$0.66 E£33.53

139.39%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.8

$1.21 E£61.6

76.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿654

$3.77 E£192

428.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.48 E£228

-23.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$9.64 E£491

17.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.8

$1.63 E£83.0

80.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.5

$0.73 E£37.25

135.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.3

$0.58 E£29.70

300.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$0.35 E£17.89

494.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.25 E£12.58

488.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.56

$0.31 E£15.62

338.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.05

$0.29 E£14.81

279.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.85

$0.20 E£10.16

185.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$1.96 E£99.6

117.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿604

$5.78 E£294

218.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.4

$1.30 E£66.3

43.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿95.8

$2.15 E£109

35.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.8

$0.20 E£10.07

1010.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿751

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.4

$0.40 E£20.35

657.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.24

$0.20 E£10.07

435.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.60 E£81.6

145.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.95

$0.47 E£23.86

217.02%

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

$27.1K ฿890.1K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-18.26%

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

$27.5K ฿900.7K

$28.9K E£1.5M

-4.89%

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

$103 ฿3,373

$14.30 E£727

618.88%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$7.36 E£375

49.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿575

$13.74 E£699

27.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,756

$19.22 E£978

178.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿367

$1.03 E£52.2

987.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$2.89 E£147

158.82%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$85.9 E£4,372

548.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿388.9K

$2,192 E£111.5K

440.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,102

$32.63 E£1,660

96.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿954

$44.97 E£2,287

-35.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,148

$118 E£6,028

-19.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,964

$53.9 E£2,741

67.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$142 E£7,223

414.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$80.1 E£4,075

524.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.6K

$268 E£13.7K

678.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$151 E£7,706

698.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.0K

$787 E£40.1K

356.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.4K

$436 E£22.2K

476.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $142 in Qalyub. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Qalyub for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $130 per month, with Qalyub 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 Qalyub: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qalyub is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 167% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $704 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $142 in Qalyub. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $85.9 in Qalyub. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Qalyub – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $469 in Qalyub versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 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.

For families, Qalyub 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 Qalyub 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 Qalyub gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.