Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quetta Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quetta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $348 in Quetta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $548 in Quetta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $747 in Quetta.

Living in Phuket is roughly 254% more expensive than Quetta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Quetta 74% lower.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Phuket
Quetta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63 āļŋ151
$3.45 PKR 962
34.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84 āļŋ1,532
$10.48 PKR 2,922
346.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.84 āļŋ289
$4.53 PKR 1,264
95.14%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.81 PKR 503
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.55 PKR 433
-
Cappuccino
$3.00 āļŋ98.0
$1.66 PKR 463
80.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 āļŋ24.25
$0.46 PKR 128
60.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 āļŋ11.95
$0.20 PKR 55.7
85.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 āļŋ79.8
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 āļŋ118
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Quetta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 āļŋ73.9
$0.68 PKR 190
232.35%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 āļŋ60.1
$0.44 PKR 122
318.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 āļŋ73.4
$1.03 PKR 288
117.48%
Eggs
$2.32 āļŋ75.7
$1.13 PKR 314
105.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.67 āļŋ643
$6.18 PKR 1,723
218.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.65 āļŋ119
$2.59 PKR 721
40.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 āļŋ428
$4.21 PKR 1,174
211.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.39 āļŋ111
$1.03 PKR 287
229.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 āļŋ53.7
$0.52 PKR 146
215.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 āļŋ79.0
$0.56 PKR 156
330.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 āļŋ66.4
$0.51 PKR 143
298.04%
Potato (1kg)
$1.56 āļŋ50.9
$0.31 PKR 87.0
403.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 āļŋ48.94
$0.50 PKR 140
200.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 āļŋ33.50
$0.35 PKR 98.1
191.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 āļŋ16.00
$0.32 PKR 90.4
53.12%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.45 PKR 403
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.34 PKR 94.1
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.10 PKR 585
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45 āļŋ145
$0.69 PKR 193
544.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.88 āļŋ617
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 āļŋ58.1
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 āļŋ90.1
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Quetta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 āļŋ45.81
$0.18 PKR 50.3
677.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.48 āļŋ376
$5.42 PKR 1,512
111.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 āļŋ102
$0.37 PKR 102
743.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 āļŋ32.67
$0.65 PKR 182
53.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.09 āļŋ461
$1.82 PKR 507
674.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 āļŋ44.19
$0.96 PKR 268
40.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K āļŋ888.9K
$21.1K PKR 5.9M
28.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
$12.4K PKR 3.5M
164.60%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Quetta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 āļŋ4,087
$53.8 PKR 15.0K
132.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57 āļŋ444
$6.39 PKR 1,781
112.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52 āļŋ606
$14.35 PKR 4,001
29.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Quetta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.5 āļŋ2,010
$4.99 PKR 1,390
1132.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84 āļŋ551
$6.00 PKR 1,673
180.67%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19 āļŋ300
$2.80 PKR 780
228.21%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Phuket
Quetta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$698 āļŋ22.8K
$34.87 PKR 9,721
1902.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.6K āļŋ509.9K
$426 PKR 118.6K
3563.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Quetta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8 āļŋ1,889
$7.22 PKR 2,013
700.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24 āļŋ1,152
$7.20 PKR 2,007
389.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 āļŋ3,699
$87.5 PKR 24.4K
29.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4 āļŋ2,825
$29.40 PKR 8,196
193.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Quetta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$616 āļŋ20.1K
$71.0 PKR 19.8K
766.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$446 āļŋ14.6K
$48.89 PKR 13.6K
812.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,048 āļŋ67.0K
$160 PKR 44.5K
1183.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,492 āļŋ48.8K
$98.4 PKR 27.4K
1416.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,779 āļŋ123.6K
$384 PKR 107.0K
884.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,649 āļŋ86.6K
$221 PKR 61.6K
1097.70%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Quetta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$524 āļŋ17.1K
$216 PKR 60.2K
142.55%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
12
-55.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Quetta: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $71.0 in Quetta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 143% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $10.00 in Quetta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $84.0 per month, with Quetta 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 Quetta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quetta cheaper than Phuket?
Quetta is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 254% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Quetta?
Phuket pays 143% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Quetta?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $71.0 in Quetta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $34.87 in Quetta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and Quetta?
Supermarket bills run roughly 246% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Quetta?
At $348 in Quetta versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quetta but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Quetta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Quetta more family-friendly?
For families, Quetta 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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Quetta?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Quetta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Quetta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 254% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

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