Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Swabi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Swabi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $343 in Swabi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $532 in Swabi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $721 in Swabi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 269% more expensive than Swabi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Swabi 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.91 PKR 809

61.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$14.42 PKR 4,011

214.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$2.78 PKR 774

203.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 PKR 478

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 PKR 498

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$0.55 PKR 154

432.73%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.29 PKR 81.6

137.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.13 PKR 36.91

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.63 PKR 175

253.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.31 PKR 85.3

490.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.84 PKR 234

158.33%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.04 PKR 289

112.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.34 PKR 1,763

211.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.31 PKR 643

57.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$2.74 PKR 763

393.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$0.56 PKR 155

485.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.34 PKR 93.3

373.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.51 PKR 142

372.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.27 PKR 74.7

670.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.17 PKR 47.00

800.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.51 PKR 142

190.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.31 PKR 85.3

219.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.27 PKR 74.6

88.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.36 PKR 380

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 PKR 202

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 PKR 569

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.17 PKR 605

103.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.17 PKR 46.57

705.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$6.88 PKR 1,914

65.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.68 PKR 189

344.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.16 PKR 43.74

518.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$1.73 PKR 481

715.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.96 PKR 266

41.67%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$10.8K PKR 3.0M

161.55%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$12.5K PKR 3.5M

162.25%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$52.5 PKR 14.6K

131.81%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$3.57 PKR 994

280.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$18.94 PKR 5,269

-3.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$12.49 PKR 3,474

382.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$6.08 PKR 1,691

181.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.25 PKR 1,183

104.47%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$17.75 PKR 4,939

3806.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,093 PKR 303.9K

1335.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$3.48 PKR 969

1610.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$28.04 PKR 7,801

24.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$88.9 PKR 24.7K

28.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$39.54 PKR 11.0K

110.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$74.2 PKR 20.6K

726.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$51.6 PKR 14.3K

747.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$165 PKR 45.8K

1172.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$105 PKR 29.2K

1338.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,117 PKR 310.7K

235.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$520 PKR 144.5K

403.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$162 PKR 45.2K

212.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-64.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Swabi: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $74.2 in Swabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 213% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Swabi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $70.0 per month, with Swabi 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 Swabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swabi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 269% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 213% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $74.2 in Swabi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $17.75 in Swabi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 319% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $343 in Swabi versus $1,265 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 269% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.