Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rawalpindi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rawalpindi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $423 in Rawalpindi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $670 in Rawalpindi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $917 in Rawalpindi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 191% more expensive than Rawalpindi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Rawalpindi 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.75 PKR 487

164.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$14.30 PKR 3,985

227.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.38 PKR 1,501

64.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 PKR 454

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 PKR 985

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.71 PKR 477

75.44%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.31 PKR 87.8

138.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.21 PKR 58.3

76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.85 PKR 238

165.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.52 PKR 144

253.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.29 PKR 360

73.64%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.18 PKR 329

96.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.18 PKR 1,724

218.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.44 PKR 959

6.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$4.46 PKR 1,244

193.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.00 PKR 280

239.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.64 PKR 177

156.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.86 PKR 239

180.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.48 PKR 134

322.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.36 PKR 101

333.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.49 PKR 136

206.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.24 PKR 66.3

325.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.36 PKR 101

36.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.92 PKR 4,437

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 PKR 277

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 PKR 643

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.94 PKR 541

129.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.18 PKR 50.8

677.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$9.95 PKR 2,774

15.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.84 PKR 234

271.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.35 PKR 98.2

185.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$3.07 PKR 856

358.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.97 PKR 271

39.18%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$17.6K PKR 4.9M

54.59%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.2K PKR 6.5M

42.05%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$103 PKR 28.7K

21.60%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.95 PKR 1,101

243.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$16.31 PKR 4,545

13.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$9.99 PKR 2,784

515.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$7.52 PKR 2,097

123.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.64 PKR 1,015

152.47%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$39.91 PKR 11.1K

1649.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$953 PKR 265.7K

1535.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$11.64 PKR 3,246

396.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$18.40 PKR 5,131

91.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$88.8 PKR 24.8K

27.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$28.47 PKR 7,937

203.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$130 PKR 36.2K

373.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$64.5 PKR 18.0K

591.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$327 PKR 91.2K

525.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$174 PKR 48.5K

758.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,159 PKR 323.0K

226.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$522 PKR 145.4K

407.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$174 PKR 48.4K

201.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

20.17

-73.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rawalpindi: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $130 in Rawalpindi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 202% 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 $14.00 in Rawalpindi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $95.0 per month, with Rawalpindi 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 Rawalpindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rawalpindi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 191% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 202% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $130 in Rawalpindi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $39.91 in Rawalpindi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 208% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $423 in Rawalpindi versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rawalpindi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rawalpindi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rawalpindi 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 Rawalpindi 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 Rawalpindi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 191% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.