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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $382 in Skardu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $573 in Skardu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $765 in Skardu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 231% more expensive than Skardu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Skardu 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$1.75 PKR 488

168.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$10.62 PKR 2,956

327.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.11 PKR 1,144

105.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 PKR 500

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 PKR 1,001

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$0.46 PKR 128

536.96%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$0.35 PKR 96.2

97.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.23 PKR 64.1

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$0.73 PKR 202

205.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$0.60 PKR 167

205.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$1.21 PKR 338

79.34%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.12 PKR 312

97.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$6.15 PKR 1,710

220.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.55 PKR 710

42.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$3.63 PKR 1,011

272.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.04 PKR 289

215.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$0.66 PKR 183

143.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.61 PKR 170

295.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$0.49 PKR 136

324.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$0.37 PKR 104

313.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$0.47 PKR 131

214.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$0.31 PKR 86.2

219.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$0.36 PKR 100

41.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.36 PKR 378

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PKR 241

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 PKR 568

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.90 PKR 528

132.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$0.19 PKR 54.3

621.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$6.91 PKR 1,923

64.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$0.90 PKR 250

235.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$0.41 PKR 114

141.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$1.75 PKR 486

705.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$0.98 PKR 273

38.78%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$21.2K PKR 5.9M

32.81%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.8K PKR 6.4M

44.12%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$102 PKR 28.4K

19.21%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$7.18 PKR 1,999

89.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$11.13 PKR 3,096

64.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$12.57 PKR 3,498

379.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$5.83 PKR 1,624

194.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$3.61 PKR 1,006

140.72%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$29.43 PKR 8,188

2256.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$1,094 PKR 304.5K

1333.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$15.31 PKR 4,259

288.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$22.03 PKR 6,131

57.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$69.1 PKR 19.2K

65.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$29.47 PKR 8,200

182.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$74.0 PKR 20.6K

728.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$52.2 PKR 14.5K

737.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$167 PKR 46.5K

1152.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$108 PKR 30.0K

1299.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$917 PKR 255.1K

308.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$567 PKR 157.9K

361.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Skardu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $74.0 in Skardu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Skardu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $86.0 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 231% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $573 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: $613 in Phuket versus $74.0 in Skardu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $29.43 in Skardu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 239% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $382 in Skardu versus $1,265 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 231% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.