Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Nov 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qusar
For one person, living is cheaper in Qusar: $741 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
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 Qusar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $741 in Qusar.
Phuket $1,294
Qusar $741
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,106 in Qusar.
Phuket $2,204
Qusar $1,106
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,472 in Qusar.
Phuket $3,115
Qusar $1,472
🌍
Living in Phuket is roughly 75% more expensive than in Qusar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket4% lower, Qusar45% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Qusar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39฿148
$7.64₼12.98
-42.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31฿1,090
$17.87₼30.37
80.81%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.70฿294
$7.96₼13.53
9.30%
Cappuccino
$2.72฿91.9
$1.80₼3.06
51.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93฿31.38
$0.68₼1.16
36.76%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50฿16.85
$0.25₼0.43
100.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.53฿85.4
$1.50₼2.55
68.67%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63฿122
$1.75₼2.97
107.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Qusar
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.74฿58.7
$0.87₼1.48
100.00%
White Bread(500g)
$1.45฿48.93
$0.30₼0.51
383.33%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.50฿50.7
$1.37₼2.32
9.49%
Eggs
$2.17฿73.3
$1.11₼1.88
95.50%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.09฿644
$3.80₼6.47
402.37%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.40฿115
$3.10₼5.26
9.68%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.90฿368
$6.87₼11.68
58.66%
Apples(1kg)
$2.94฿99.2
$0.45₼0.76
553.33%
Banana(1kg)
$1.69฿57.1
$1.44₼2.44
17.36%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.19฿74.0
$1.16₼1.97
88.79%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.12฿71.6
$1.84₼3.12
15.22%
Potato(1kg)
$1.46฿49.19
$0.25₼0.42
484.00%
Onion(1kg)
$1.37฿46.14
$0.60₼1.02
128.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.08฿36.29
$0.17₼0.28
535.29%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55฿18.40
$0.34₼0.57
61.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43฿149
$2.86₼4.86
54.90%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.25฿616
$8.57₼14.56
112.95%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77฿59.8
$1.53₼2.61
15.69%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88฿97.2
$2.92₼4.97
-1.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Qusar
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.45฿48.82
$0.23₼0.39
530.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$54.9฿1,851
$11.89₼20.20
361.65%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.51฿51.0
$1.17₼1.98
29.06%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.78฿26.17
$0.57₼0.97
36.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.84฿129
$2.39₼4.07
60.67%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.49฿50.2
$0.60₼1.03
148.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K฿906.7K
$19.1K₼32.4K
41.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K฿888.6K
$22.7K₼38.6K
15.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Qusar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$97.8฿3,299
$47.58₼80.9
105.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29฿381
$11.24₼19.10
0.44%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19฿580
$11.59₼19.69
48.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Qusar
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$68.3฿2,305
$19.40₼32.97
252.22%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92฿368
$11.97₼20.35
-8.77%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43฿251
$5.47₼9.29
35.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Qusar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$530฿17.9K
$70.6₼120
650.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.8K฿633.5K
$3,573₼6,072
425.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Qusar
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7฿2,080
$40.63₼69.1
51.78%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25฿953
$40.83₼69.4
-30.81%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$96.0฿3,238
$105₼179
-8.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8฿2,928
$69.6₼118
24.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Qusar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$721฿24.3K
$333₼566
116.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$509฿17.2K
$256₼435
98.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,950฿65.8K
$494₼840
294.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,397฿47.1K
$399₼678
250.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,192฿141.4K
$1,386₼2,356
202.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,298฿111.3K
$1,220₼2,074
170.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Qusar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$492฿16.6K
$421₼715
16.88%
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: November 2, 2026
Last update for Qusar: November 1, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509 39.3%
Qusar
$256 34.5% ↓ 49.7%$253
🛒Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267 20.6%
Qusar
$131 17.7% ↓ 50.9%$136
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126 9.8%
Qusar
$70 9.5% ↓ 44.3%$56
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123 9.5%
Qusar
$115 15.6% ↓ 6%$7.4
🍽Eating Out
Phuket
$120 9.2%
Qusar
$121 16.4% ↑ 1.4%$1.7
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83 6.4%
Qusar
$30 4.1% ↓ 63.5%$53
🚌Getting Around
Phuket
$66 5.1%
Qusar
$17 2.3% ↓ 74.6%$49
🏠Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$1.4K 44.8%
Qusar
$399 27.1% ↓ 71.4%$998
🛒Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$602 19.3%
Qusar
$294 20% ↓ 51.3%$309
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$138 4.4%
Qusar
$82 5.6% ↓ 40.7%$56
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$273 8.8%
Qusar
$256 17.4% ↓ 6%$16
🍽Eating Out
Phuket
$393 12.6%
Qusar
$334 22.7% ↓ 14.9%$58
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$177 5.7%
Qusar
$73 4.9% ↓ 59%$105
🚌Getting Around
Phuket
$135 4.3%
Qusar
$34 2.3% ↓ 74.8%$101
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $333 in Qusar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Phuket pays 17% 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 $18 in Qusar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $131 per month, with Qusar cheaper across the board.
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 Qusar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Qusar cheaper than Phuket?
Qusar is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Qusar?
Average pay runs 17% higher in Phuket, 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 Qusar?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $333 in Qusar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $71 in Qusar. 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 in Qusar?
Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Qusar?
At $741 in Qusar versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Qusar?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Qusar?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Qusar are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Qusar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.