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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $464 in Shibin Al Kawm.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $757 in Shibin Al Kawm.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,050 in Shibin Al Kawm.

Living in Phuket is roughly 169% more expensive than in Shibin Al Kawm, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Shibin Al Kawm 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.65 E£186

24.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$15.90 E£811

190.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.71 E£241

87.69%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.49 E£76.2

105.37%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.31 E£16.01

135.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.10 E£5.17

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.17 E£59.6

107.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.02 E£154

25.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.82 E£41.73

175.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.79 E£40.18

129.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.66 E£33.90

240.91%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.39 E£71.2

61.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$4.00 E£204

387.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.34 E£222

-15.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.75 E£498

33.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.49 E£76.1

116.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.55 E£27.92

194.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.42 E£21.62

466.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.39 E£20.02

420.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.40 E£20.64

282.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.41 E£20.81

265.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.24 E£12.28

308.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.19 E£9.78

173.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.97 E£100

125.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.95 E£304

207.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.41 E£71.8

31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.64 E£135

1.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.19 E£9.86

642.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.55 E£28.18

465.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.42 E£21.54

147.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.00 E£102

605.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.33 E£16.89

296.97%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$34.9K E£1.8M

-20.20%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$33.3K E£1.7M

-0.19%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$11.16 E£570

997.13%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$5.62 E£287

141.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$9.96 E£508

87.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$22.26 E£1,136

171.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.00 E£153

202.33%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$87.4 E£4,460

708.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$1,876 E£95.8K

742.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$27.05 E£1,381

116.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$49.27 E£2,515

-28.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$108 E£5,527

6.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$51.1 E£2,608

63.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$189 E£9,659

230.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$99.3 E£5,070

348.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$315 E£16.1K

547.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$179 E£9,156

731.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$696 E£35.5K

400.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$425 E£21.7K

506.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Shibin Al Kawm: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $189 in Shibin Al Kawm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Shibin Al Kawm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $131 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 169% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $696 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: $626 in Phuket versus $189 in Shibin Al Kawm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $87.4 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $464 in Shibin Al Kawm versus $1,250 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 169% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.