Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quetta

For one person, living is cheaper in Quetta: $415 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Quetta
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Quetta Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Quetta

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Quetta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $415 in Quetta.

Phuket $1,278
Quetta $415

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $620 in Quetta.

Phuket $2,216
Quetta $620

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $826 in Quetta.

Phuket $3,154
Quetta $826

Living in Phuket is roughly 208% more expensive than in Quetta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Quetta 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.51 PKR 971

27.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$10.77 PKR 2,978

200.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.59 PKR 1,269

91.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 PKR 514

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 PKR 1,429

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.65 PKR 455

71.52%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.41 PKR 114

112.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.17 PKR 48.30

188.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.75 PKR 206

121.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.55 PKR 152

165.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.28 PKR 353

17.19%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.18 PKR 327

77.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.02 PKR 1,387

279.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.95 PKR 816

11.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$5.18 PKR 1,433

110.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$0.99 PKR 274

195.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.56 PKR 155

201.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.69 PKR 190

226.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.55 PKR 152

278.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.32 PKR 88.6

371.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.52 PKR 143

165.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.42 PKR 117

154.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.40 PKR 110

30.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.83 PKR 507

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 332

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 PKR 667

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.04 PKR 563

105.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.14 PKR 37.85

935.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$9.01 PKR 2,490

528.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.04 PKR 288

190.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.47 PKR 129

117.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.53 PKR 424

141.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.15 PKR 317

27.83%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$19.9K PKR 5.5M

34.54%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

13.77%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$100 PKR 27.7K

-3.83%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$7.95 PKR 2,198

41.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$16.48 PKR 4,557

2.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$5.81 PKR 1,607

1057.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$7.46 PKR 2,061

43.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.23 PKR 893

132.20%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$35.14 PKR 9,715

1254.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$1,039 PKR 287.2K

984.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$8.05 PKR 2,226

674.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$22.10 PKR 6,109

28.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$68.8 PKR 19.0K

37.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$33.98 PKR 9,394

152.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$71.3 PKR 19.7K

903.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

868.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$164 PKR 45.4K

1074.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$101 PKR 27.8K

1322.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$386 PKR 106.8K

981.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$222 PKR 61.5K

1268.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$274 PKR 75.8K

83.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-57.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Quetta: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Quetta

$51 12.2% 89.7% $440

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Quetta

$90 21.8% 66% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Quetta

$125 30.1% 0.1% $0.2

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Quetta

$60 14.4% 50.9% $62

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Quetta

$64 15.4% 47.4% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Quetta

$12 3% 85.1% $70

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Quetta

$13 3.1% 81.7% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $71 in Quetta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 83% 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: $32 in Phuket vs $11 in Quetta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $90 per month, with Quetta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇰 Quetta

🕒 Local time

11:29 11:29 AM

09:29 9:29 AM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,001,205

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 309 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Quetta 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Quetta

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 Quetta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quetta is about 68% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 83% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $71 in Quetta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $35 in Quetta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 194% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $415 in Quetta versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

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.

Expats usually find Quetta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.