Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qusar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qusar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $738 in Qusar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,094 in Qusar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,449 in Qusar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 67% more expensive than in Qusar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Qusar 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.53 ₼12.79

-41.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$17.95 ₼30.51

79.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.61 ₼12.94

17.35%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$1.77 ₼3.01

63.84%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.68 ₼1.16

29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.23 ₼0.39

108.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.46 ₼2.48

60.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.78 ₼3.02

108.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$0.91 ₼1.54

105.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.30 ₼0.51

390.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.45 ₼2.46

6.90%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.12 ₼1.90

87.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$3.69 ₼6.26

430.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.16 ₼5.37

8.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$6.86 ₼11.66

65.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$0.45 ₼0.76

562.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.51 ₼2.57

11.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.21 ₼2.06

82.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.73 ₼2.95

24.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.25 ₼0.43

508.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.62 ₼1.06

116.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.17 ₼0.29

564.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.34 ₼0.57

61.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.88 ₼4.90

47.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$9.07 ₼15.41

110.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.51 ₼2.57

17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.94 ₼4.99

-5.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.23 ₼0.39

869.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$11.60 ₼19.71

96.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.19 ₼2.03

154.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.62 ₼1.05

64.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$2.40 ₼4.08

62.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$0.57 ₼0.97

161.40%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$19.1K ₼32.5K

39.13%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$21.2K ₼36.1K

27.23%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$46.37 ₼78.8

120.98%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$11.29 ₼19.18

0.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$11.93 ₼20.28

45.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$19.55 ₼33.23

166.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$11.94 ₼20.29

-7.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.77 ₼9.81

33.28%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$71.9 ₼122

680.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$3,523 ₼5,988

226.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$41.36 ₼70.3

52.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$40.99 ₼69.7

-27.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$107 ₼182

-8.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$70.2 ₼119

26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$329 ₼559

124.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$254 ₼432

89.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$492 ₼837

327.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$388 ₼659

216.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,398 ₼2,376

158.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,253 ₼2,129

107.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$415 ₼705

19.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.85

-29.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Qusar: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $329 in Qusar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 19% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Qusar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $133 per month, with Qusar 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 Qusar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qusar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $329 in Qusar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $71.9 in Qusar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $738 in Qusar versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qusar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Qusar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Qusar 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 Qusar 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 Qusar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.