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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $447 in Qalyub.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $729 in Qalyub.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,011 in Qalyub.

Living in Phuket is roughly 180% more expensive than in Qalyub, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Qalyub 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.57 E£182

27.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$15.77 E£805

192.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.57 E£233

93.44%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.45 E£74.2

111.03%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.31 E£15.87

135.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.12 E£6.24

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.27 E£64.6

91.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.71 E£138

39.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.86 E£44.04

162.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.59 E£30.08

206.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.70 E£35.67

221.43%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.45 E£74.1

55.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$3.45 E£176

465.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.23 E£216

-13.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.72 E£445

49.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.47 E£75.2

119.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.54 E£27.74

200.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.39 E£20.08

510.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.39 E£20.08

420.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.38 E£19.25

302.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.41 E£20.73

265.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.22 E£11.16

345.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.20 E£10.17

160.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.94 E£99.3

128.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.01 E£307

204.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.26 E£64.4

47.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.71 E£87.4

56.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.16 E£8.19

781.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.42 E£21.26

640.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.31 E£15.92

235.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$1.02 E£52.3

1283.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.33 E£17.04

296.97%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$36.0K E£1.8M

-22.79%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$29.9K E£1.5M

10.91%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$11.43 E£584

971.22%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$5.70 E£291

138.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$10.10 E£516

85.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$22.10 E£1,128

173.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.88 E£147

214.93%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$88.5 E£4,515

698.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$1,865 E£95.2K

747.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$27.53 E£1,405

112.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$43.53 E£2,222

-18.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$107 E£5,449

8.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$51.5 E£2,627

62.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$193 E£9,846

224.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$101 E£5,153

340.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$303 E£15.5K

572.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$181 E£9,239

724.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$807 E£41.2K

331.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$443 E£22.6K

481.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.67

-68.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $193 in Qalyub. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Qalyub for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $122 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 180% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $670 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: $626 in Phuket versus $193 in Qalyub. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $88.5 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 $16.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $447 in Qalyub versus $1,250 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 180% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.