Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shibin Al Kawm Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shibin Al Kawm

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $476 in Shibin Al Kawm.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $755 in Shibin Al Kawm.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,033 in Shibin Al Kawm.

Living in Phuket is roughly 166% more expensive than Shibin Al Kawm, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Shibin Al Kawm 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$3.50 E£182

34.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$16.08 E£835

182.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.77 E£248

76.73%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.45 E£75.1

102.07%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.31 E£16.28

122.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.11 E£5.95

236.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.22 E£63.3

97.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.92 E£152

27.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.80 E£41.42

178.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.74 E£38.57

147.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.65 E£33.79

233.85%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.38 E£71.6

60.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$3.83 E£199

415.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.41 E£229

-17.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.39 E£487

44.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.49 E£77.1

120.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.59 E£30.38

172.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.40 E£20.51

502.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.39 E£20.40

433.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.41 E£21.22

273.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.44 E£22.60

236.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.22 E£11.37

350.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.20 E£10.19

155.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.93 E£100

128.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$5.71 E£296

239.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.36 E£70.8

30.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.59 E£135

4.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.17 E£8.78

705.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.52 E£27.07

480.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.42 E£22.03

135.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.01 E£105

601.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.31 E£15.93

338.71%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$35.4K E£1.8M

-20.39%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.5K E£1.7M

-1.67%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$11.49 E£596

959.18%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.60 E£291

142.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$10.19 E£529

79.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$22.57 E£1,172

166.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.02 E£157

187.75%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$90.0 E£4,673

670.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$1,855 E£96.3K

745.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$27.26 E£1,415

118.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$49.49 E£2,568

-29.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$108 E£5,619

5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$49.82 E£2,586

67.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$191 E£9,912

221.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$101 E£5,216

334.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$303 E£15.7K

590.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$175 E£9,074

763.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$674 E£35.0K

456.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$410 E£21.3K

538.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-68.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Shibin Al Kawm: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $191 in Shibin Al Kawm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Shibin Al Kawm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $128 per month, with Shibin Al Kawm 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 Shibin Al Kawm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shibin Al Kawm is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $714 in Shibin Al Kawm 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: $613 in Phuket versus $191 in Shibin Al Kawm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $90.0 in Shibin Al Kawm. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shibin Al Kawm – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $476 in Shibin Al Kawm versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shibin Al Kawm but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shibin Al Kawm the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shibin Al Kawm 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 Shibin Al Kawm 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 Shibin Al Kawm gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.