Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sahiwal

For one person, living is cheaper in Sahiwal: $498 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Sahiwal
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Sahiwal Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Sahiwal

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sahiwal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $498 in Sahiwal.

Phuket $1,278
Sahiwal $498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $755 in Sahiwal.

Phuket $2,216
Sahiwal $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,013 in Sahiwal.

Phuket $3,154
Sahiwal $1,013

Living in Phuket is roughly 157% more expensive than in Sahiwal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sahiwal 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.57 PKR 711

73.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$14.34 PKR 3,963

126.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.67 PKR 1,568

55.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 PKR 989

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 PKR 1,483

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.62 PKR 724

8.02%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.37 PKR 103

135.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.26 PKR 72.1

88.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.97 PKR 268

71.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$0.73 PKR 201

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.24 PKR 342

20.97%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.20 PKR 332

74.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$6.40 PKR 1,768

197.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$2.49 PKR 688

32.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$4.97 PKR 1,375

119.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$1.18 PKR 326

148.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$0.70 PKR 192

141.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$0.83 PKR 230

171.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.60 PKR 165

246.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.31 PKR 86.1

387.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.36 PKR 99.5

283.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.48 PKR 131

122.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.35 PKR 96.2

48.57%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.07 PKR 295

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 PKR 166

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 PKR 476

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.13 PKR 588

97.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.18 PKR 50.8

705.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$11.05 PKR 3,056

412.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.88 PKR 242

243.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.74 PKR 204

37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$1.83 PKR 506

101.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.34 PKR 371

9.70%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$17.9K PKR 5.0M

49.35%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$23.7K PKR 6.6M

12.39%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$125 PKR 34.6K

-22.97%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$5.74 PKR 1,587

96.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$16.23 PKR 4,487

3.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$12.76 PKR 3,527

426.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$7.53 PKR 2,083

42.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.40 PKR 1,217

70.45%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$75.0 PKR 20.7K

534.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$2,068 PKR 571.7K

444.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$17.74 PKR 4,904

251.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$27.98 PKR 7,735

1.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$72.6 PKR 20.1K

29.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$32.21 PKR 8,906

166.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$125 PKR 34.6K

471.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$76.5 PKR 21.1K

541.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$307 PKR 84.9K

527.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$177 PKR 49.0K

707.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$696 PKR 192.5K

499.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$471 PKR 130.1K

546.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

14.05

-60.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sahiwal: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Sahiwal

$77 15.4% 84.4% $414

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Sahiwal

$97 19.6% 63.4% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Sahiwal

$147 29.5% 18.1% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sahiwal

$68 13.6% 44.4% $54

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sahiwal

$72 14.4% 41.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Sahiwal

$22 4.3% 73.8% $61

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Sahiwal

$16 3.3% 76.8% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $125 in Sahiwal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $14 in Sahiwal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $97 per month, with Sahiwal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇰 Sahiwal

🕒 Local time

12:05 12:05 PM

10:05 10:05 AM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

389,605

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.25 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 276 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 308 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.25 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Sahiwal 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sahiwal

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 Sahiwal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sahiwal is about 61% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $747 in Sahiwal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $125 in Sahiwal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $75 in Sahiwal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 173% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $498 in Sahiwal versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sahiwal but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sahiwal 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 Sahiwal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.