Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Skardu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Skardu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $377 in Skardu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $576 in Skardu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $775 in Skardu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 234% more expensive than in Skardu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Skardu 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$1.79 PKR 497

153.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,565

$10.50 PKR 2,916

341.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$4.14 PKR 1,149

108.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 PKR 998

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$0.42 PKR 117

635.71%

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

$0.68 ฿22.89

$0.34 PKR 94.9

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.44

$0.23 PKR 63.9

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿129

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$0.77 PKR 215

183.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$0.56 PKR 155

225.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.5

$1.21 PKR 336

80.17%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.4

$1.17 PKR 324

91.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿673

$6.00 PKR 1,665

232.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$2.60 PKR 721

40.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿458

$3.71 PKR 1,031

265.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$1.05 PKR 290

213.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$0.66 PKR 183

156.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.8

$0.67 PKR 186

247.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.4

$0.49 PKR 135

314.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.0

$0.35 PKR 95.9

357.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.5

$0.50 PKR 140

198.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.17

$0.31 PKR 85.6

225.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.36 PKR 100

33.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.55 PKR 429

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 PKR 259

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 PKR 560

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$1.98 PKR 550

124.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿629

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.4

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.90

$0.20 PKR 56.5

610.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$7.10 PKR 1,972

59.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$0.84 PKR 233

267.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.19

$0.40 PKR 111

160.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿460

$1.78 PKR 495

665.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.23

$0.96 PKR 265

36.46%

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

$27.3K ฿920.7K

$21.5K PKR 6.0M

27.09%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.7K PKR 6.3M

46.47%

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

$123 ฿4,157

$102 PKR 28.3K

20.75%

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

$13.81 ฿466

$7.09 PKR 1,969

94.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿625

$11.40 PKR 3,165

62.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,037

$12.46 PKR 3,458

384.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

$6.02 PKR 1,670

179.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿300

$3.62 PKR 1,006

145.58%

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

$687 ฿23.2K

$29.27 PKR 8,128

2245.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿524.8K

$1,105 PKR 306.7K

1307.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,945

$15.31 PKR 4,250

276.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,170

$21.94 PKR 6,091

57.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,879

$68.7 PKR 19.1K

67.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,865

$28.93 PKR 8,033

193.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$73.9 PKR 20.5K

735.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿15.0K

$52.7 PKR 14.6K

740.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.1K

$168 PKR 46.7K

1117.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.8K

$108 PKR 29.9K

1299.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.4K

$974 PKR 270.5K

266.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.7K

$484 PKR 134.2K

419.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-71.95%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Skardu: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $73.9 in Skardu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Skardu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $87.0 per month, with Skardu 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 Skardu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skardu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 234% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $566 in Skardu 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: $618 in Phuket versus $73.9 in Skardu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $29.27 in Skardu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 236% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $377 in Skardu versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Skardu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Skardu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Skardu 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 Skardu 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 Skardu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 234% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.