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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $437 in Skardu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $661 in Skardu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $885 in Skardu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 187% more expensive than in Skardu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Skardu 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$2.38 PKR 660

91.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$12.05 PKR 3,341

170.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.76 PKR 1,319

86.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 PKR 778

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 PKR 1,403

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.44 PKR 399

94.44%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.39 PKR 107

125.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.23 PKR 64.6

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$0.87 PKR 242

105.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.59 PKR 164

144.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.15 PKR 320

37.39%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.23 PKR 340

73.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$6.30 PKR 1,745

216.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$2.53 PKR 701

35.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$5.19 PKR 1,439

118.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.12 PKR 309

163.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.59 PKR 163

191.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$0.74 PKR 205

213.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.46 PKR 128

352.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.31 PKR 86.8

374.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.33 PKR 90.5

312.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.33 PKR 90.4

233.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.38 PKR 104

50.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.77 PKR 492

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 PKR 283

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 PKR 765

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$1.91 PKR 530

123.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.18 PKR 48.91

1133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$8.63 PKR 2,393

165.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.18 PKR 328

156.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.77 PKR 213

38.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.70 PKR 470

131.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.13 PKR 313

31.86%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$19.3K PKR 5.4M

40.42%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$22.2K PKR 6.1M

23.82%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$103 PKR 28.5K

-0.10%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$3.60 PKR 998

205.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$13.74 PKR 3,810

27.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$14.51 PKR 4,023

268.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$3.93 PKR 1,089

90.33%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$46.28 PKR 12.8K

1103.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$951 PKR 263.8K

1145.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$13.70 PKR 3,798

367.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$19.12 PKR 5,302

52.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$82.6 PKR 22.9K

16.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$28.62 PKR 7,935

215.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$127 PKR 35.1K

477.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$66.6 PKR 18.5K

650.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$253 PKR 70.1K

726.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$162 PKR 44.9K

646.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$901 PKR 249.8K

299.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$469 PKR 129.9K

436.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.88

-56.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Skardu: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $127 in Skardu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Skardu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $93.0 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, Getting Around. The 187% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $656 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: $730 in Phuket versus $127 in Skardu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $46.28 in Skardu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 194% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $437 in Skardu versus $1,253 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 187% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.