Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shahrekord

For one person, living is cheaper in Shahrekord: $526 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Shahrekord
Learn more

Shahrekord Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Shahrekord

🇮🇷 Iran

$526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Shahrekord

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $526 in Shahrekord.

Phuket $1,294
Shahrekord $526

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $831 in Shahrekord.

Phuket $2,204
Shahrekord $831

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,135 in Shahrekord.

Phuket $3,115
Shahrekord $1,135

Living in Phuket is roughly 146% more expensive than in Shahrekord, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Shahrekord 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$2.45 $2.45

79.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$15.81 $15.81

104.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$4.04 $4.04

115.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$0.67 $0.67

305.97%

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.43 $0.43

116.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.98 $0.98

-48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$0.69 $0.69

152.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

$0.52 $0.52

178.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$2.01 $2.01

-25.37%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$1.18 $1.18

83.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$4.31 $4.31

342.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$3.43 $3.43

-0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$10.15 $10.15

7.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$1.06 $1.06

177.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.60 $1.60

5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$0.82 $0.82

167.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

$0.56 $0.56

278.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

$0.53 $0.53

175.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

$0.47 $0.47

191.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

$0.58 $0.58

86.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

$0.26 $0.26

111.54%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.81 $0.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 $1.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$2.56 $2.56

73.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

$0.15 $0.15

866.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

$9.88 $9.88

455.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.39 $0.39

287.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

$0.31 $0.31

151.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

$2.64 $2.64

45.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$0.09 $0.09

1555.56%

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

$50.5K $50.5K

-46.77%

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

$46.7K $46.7K

-43.53%

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

$13.03 $13.03

650.65%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$1.54 $1.54

633.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$3.81 $3.81

351.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$18.95 $18.95

260.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$13.65 $13.65

-20.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$1.96 $1.96

279.08%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$107 $107

395.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

$2,392 $2,392

685.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

$23.02 $23.02

167.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$28.71 $28.71

-1.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

$95.6 $95.6

0.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

$73.1 $73.1

18.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$291 $291

148.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$214 $214

138.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$805 $805

142.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$362 $362

286.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$889 $889

371.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$499 $499

560.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

$201 $201

145.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.3

-77.08%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Shahrekord: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Shahrekord

$214 40.6% 58% $295

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Shahrekord

$114 21.7% 57.2% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Shahrekord

$18 3.5% 85.4% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Shahrekord

$99 18.9% 19.2% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Shahrekord

$45 8.6% 62% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Shahrekord

$23 4.3% 72.5% $60

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Shahrekord

$12 2.4% 81.2% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $291 in Shahrekord. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.5 times 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 $16 in Shahrekord for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $114 per month, with Shahrekord cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇷 Shahrekord

🕒 Local time

08:11 8:11 AM

04:41 4:41 AM

3 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

129,153

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Phuket Shahrekord 5,600 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Shahrekord

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 Shahrekord: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shahrekord is about 59% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.5 times higher, 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: $721 in Phuket versus $291 in Shahrekord. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $107 in Shahrekord. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 133% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $526 in Shahrekord versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shahrekord but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shahrekord 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Shahrekord are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Shahrekord gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.