Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rasht

For one person, living is cheaper in Rasht: $476 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Rasht
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Rasht Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Rasht

🇮🇷 Iran

$476

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Rasht

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $476 in Rasht.

Phuket $1,207
Rasht $476

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $737 in Rasht.

Phuket $2,037
Rasht $737

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $998 in Rasht.

Phuket $2,867
Rasht $998

Living in Phuket is roughly 154% more expensive than in Rasht, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Rasht 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.72 $3.72

23.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$16.25 $16.25

99.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$4.03 $4.03

112.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.37 $1.37

98.54%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.50 $0.50

88.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.01 $1.01

-51.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.55 $0.55

216.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.52 $0.52

175.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.89 $1.89

-19.05%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.28 $1.28

69.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$4.43 $4.43

332.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$2.46 $2.46

34.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$9.43 $9.43

18.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$0.75 $0.75

293.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.35 $1.35

24.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$0.72 $0.72

219.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.50 $0.50

326.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.44 $0.44

247.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.51 $0.51

166.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.37 $0.37

202.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.24 $0.24

129.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 $1.32

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.62 $1.62

162.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.17 $0.17

1205.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$10.81 $10.81

104.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$0.51 $0.51

470.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.21 $0.21

380.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.47 $1.47

160.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.09 $0.09

1555.56%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$49.9K $49.9K

-46.51%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$44.2K $44.2K

-39.62%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$12.97 $12.97

666.15%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$1.62 $1.62

596.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$3.78 $3.78

359.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$17.97 $17.97

190.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$11.83 $11.83

-8.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$1.02 $1.02

642.16%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$82.7 $82.7

575.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$2,607 $2,607

340.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$16.23 $16.23

287.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$24.73 $24.73

15.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$112 $112

-13.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$74.8 $74.8

17.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$210 $210

247.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$157 $157

193.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$389 $389

438.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$213 $213

474.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,226 $1,226

182.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$618 $618

302.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$210 $210

135.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-70.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Rasht: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Rasht

$157 32.9% 65.9% $303

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Rasht

$101 21.3% 62.2% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Rasht

$18 3.9% 85.7% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Rasht

$102 21.5% 17.6% $22

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Rasht

$64 13.5% 46.9% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Rasht

$20 4.2% 70.3% $47

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Rasht

$13 2.7% 66.4% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $210 in Rasht. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 135% 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 $16.00 in Rasht for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $101 per month, with Rasht cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇷 Rasht

🕒 Local time

08:04 8:04 AM

04:34 4:34 AM

3 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

679,995

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Rasht 5,890 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

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Phuket
Rasht

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 Rasht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rasht is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 154% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 135% 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: $729 in Phuket versus $210 in Rasht. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $82.7 in Rasht. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 165% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $476 in Rasht versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rasht but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rasht the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rasht 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 Rasht 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 Rasht gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.