Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Swabi

For one person, living is cheaper in Swabi: $511 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Swabi
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Swabi Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Swabi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Swabi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Swabi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $511 in Swabi.

Phuket $1,208
Swabi $511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $801 in Swabi.

Phuket $2,027
Swabi $801

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,091 in Swabi.

Phuket $2,845
Swabi $1,091

Living in Phuket is roughly 137% more expensive than in Swabi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Swabi 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$3.51 PKR 971

25.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$23.47 PKR 6,497

37.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.53 PKR 1,531

58.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 PKR 1,010

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 PKR 1,942

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.69 PKR 745

5.20%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.36 PKR 98.6

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.23 PKR 63.8

104.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.93 PKR 258

86.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.72 PKR 200

104.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.26 PKR 348

19.84%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.20 PKR 333

80.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$6.05 PKR 1,674

225.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$3.13 PKR 866

6.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$5.39 PKR 1,491

107.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.28 PKR 354

122.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$0.83 PKR 229

104.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.07 PKR 296

104.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.52 PKR 145

294.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.29 PKR 80.4

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.36 PKR 99.2

283.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.28 PKR 76.7

282.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.42 PKR 117

21.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 496

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 PKR 346

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 PKR 658

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.32 PKR 643

83.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.16 PKR 43.30

1312.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$9.75 PKR 2,697

126.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.28 PKR 356

135.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.69 PKR 190

53.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$1.60 PKR 442

141.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.39 PKR 384

4.32%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$21.6K PKR 6.0M

21.62%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$24.0K PKR 6.6M

12.36%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$101 PKR 27.8K

-4.14%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$6.11 PKR 1,691

80.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$17.33 PKR 4,796

-1.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$15.07 PKR 4,171

246.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$7.87 PKR 2,177

41.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$4.27 PKR 1,183

82.90%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$73.6 PKR 20.4K

655.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$1,021 PKR 282.4K

1034.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$26.59 PKR 7,360

141.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$35.19 PKR 9,739

-18.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$97.0 PKR 26.9K

-1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$40.28 PKR 11.1K

118.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$124 PKR 34.4K

493.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$76.9 PKR 21.3K

501.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$251 PKR 69.5K

734.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$152 PKR 42.0K

690.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$928 PKR 256.9K

275.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$474 PKR 131.1K

432.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.08

-57.42%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Swabi: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Swabi

$77 15.1% 83.4% $385

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Swabi

$102 20% 61.9% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Swabi

$124 24.3% 0.5% $0.6

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Swabi

$90 17.5% 27.9% $35

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Swabi

$79 15.5% 34.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Swabi

$24 4.6% 65.2% $44

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Swabi

$15 3% 61.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $124 in Swabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Swabi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $102 per month, with Swabi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇰 Swabi

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

21:05 9:05 PM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

123,412

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Swabi 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Swabi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Swabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swabi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $766 in Swabi 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: $737 in Phuket versus $124 in Swabi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $73.6 in Swabi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 163% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $511 in Swabi versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Swabi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Swabi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Swabi 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 Swabi 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 Swabi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.