Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sheikhupura

For one person, living is cheaper in Sheikhupura: $509 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Sheikhupura
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$509
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sheikhupura

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $509 in Sheikhupura.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Sheikhupura $509

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $798 in Sheikhupura.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Sheikhupura $798

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,088 in Sheikhupura.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Sheikhupura $1,088

Living in Phuket is roughly 137% more expensive than in Sheikhupura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Sheikhupura 62% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Sheikhupura
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$3.60 PKR 996
22.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$23.21 PKR 6,425
38.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$5.39 PKR 1,492
62.52%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.70 PKR 1,023
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.75 PKR 1,867
-
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$2.60 PKR 720
8.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$0.33 PKR 90.7
172.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$0.21 PKR 58.1
123.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Sheikhupura
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$1.01 PKR 278
71.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$0.72 PKR 199
104.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$1.24 PKR 343
21.77%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$1.22 PKR 337
77.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$6.06 PKR 1,677
225.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$3.02 PKR 835
10.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$5.45 PKR 1,509
104.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$1.32 PKR 365
115.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$0.87 PKR 241
95.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$1.04 PKR 288
110.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$0.56 PKR 156
266.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$0.29 PKR 80.7
400.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$0.38 PKR 106
263.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$0.28 PKR 76.5
282.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$0.39 PKR 108
30.77%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.85 PKR 512
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.20 PKR 331
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.42 PKR 669
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$2.26 PKR 626
88.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Sheikhupura
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$0.16 PKR 44.94
1312.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
$10.10 PKR 2,797
118.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$1.24 PKR 345
142.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$0.70 PKR 193
51.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$1.61 PKR 445
139.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$1.33 PKR 369
9.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$22.0K PKR 6.1M
19.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$24.6K PKR 6.8M
9.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Sheikhupura
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$101 PKR 28.0K
-4.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$5.88 PKR 1,627
87.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$16.97 PKR 4,697
1.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Sheikhupura
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$15.09 PKR 4,177
245.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
$8.29 PKR 2,293
34.62%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$4.22 PKR 1,169
85.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Sheikhupura
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$74.8 PKR 20.7K
642.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$1,056 PKR 292.2K
996.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Sheikhupura
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$26.48 PKR 7,330
142.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$35.09 PKR 9,711
-18.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$94.8 PKR 26.2K
0.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$40.52 PKR 11.2K
117.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Sheikhupura
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$127 PKR 35.0K
482.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$75.9 PKR 21.0K
509.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$254 PKR 70.4K
723.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$151 PKR 41.8K
694.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$936 PKR 258.9K
272.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$491 PKR 135.9K
413.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Sheikhupura
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
13.08
-57.42%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sheikhupura: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Sheikhupura
$76 83.6% $386
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Sheikhupura
$103 61.7% $166
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Sheikhupura
$124 0.4% $0.5
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Sheikhupura
$89 28.7% $36
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Sheikhupura
$78 35.4% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Sheikhupura
$24 65.3% $44
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Sheikhupura
$15 60.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $127 in Sheikhupura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Sheikhupura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $103 per month, with Sheikhupura cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇰 Sheikhupura
🕒 Local time
19:31 7:31 PM
17:31 5:31 PM
2 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
473,129
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Sheikhupura 3,660 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Sheikhupura

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 Sheikhupura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sheikhupura cheaper than Phuket?
Sheikhupura is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $763 in Sheikhupura 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Sheikhupura?
Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $127 in Sheikhupura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $74.8 in Sheikhupura. 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 Sheikhupura?
Supermarket bills run roughly 161% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Sheikhupura?
At $509 in Sheikhupura versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sheikhupura but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sheikhupura the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Sheikhupura more family-friendly?
For families, Sheikhupura 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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Sheikhupura?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Sheikhupura are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Sheikhupura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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