Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Swat Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Swat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $438 in Swat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $667 in Swat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $896 in Swat.

Living in Phuket is roughly 188% more expensive than in Swat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Swat 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$3.66 PKR 1,014

21.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$22.55 PKR 6,252

55.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$3.59 PKR 995

149.58%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 PKR 973

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 PKR 1,883

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.39 PKR 664

25.52%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.35 PKR 98.1

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.22 PKR 60.8

113.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$0.98 PKR 272

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$0.41 PKR 114

246.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.22 PKR 337

27.05%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.21 PKR 335

76.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$5.89 PKR 1,635

235.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$1.41 PKR 390

146.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$1.40 PKR 388

692.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.06 PKR 295

174.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$0.83 PKR 231

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$0.56 PKR 155

305.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$0.47 PKR 130

346.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.27 PKR 74.1

444.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$0.33 PKR 92.4

327.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.27 PKR 74.8

303.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.41 PKR 113

31.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 PKR 502

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 PKR 384

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 PKR 665

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$2.41 PKR 668

85.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.20 PKR 56.6

1030.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$10.07 PKR 2,791

129.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$1.18 PKR 328

157.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.75 PKR 208

45.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$1.82 PKR 504

109.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.02 PKR 283

46.08%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$21.4K PKR 5.9M

28.21%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$24.5K PKR 6.8M

12.19%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$102 PKR 28.4K

-0.66%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$5.58 PKR 1,548

102.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$15.94 PKR 4,421

11.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$10.70 PKR 2,967

406.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$4.94 PKR 1,369

58.91%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$43.22 PKR 12.0K

1235.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$1,001 PKR 277.7K

1061.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$23.80 PKR 6,600

174.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$32.53 PKR 9,020

-11.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$24.84 PKR 6,888

298.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$39.49 PKR 11.0K

128.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$121 PKR 33.6K

522.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$72.6 PKR 20.1K

570.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$263 PKR 72.8K

693.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$165 PKR 45.7K

632.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$871 PKR 241.4K

312.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$554 PKR 153.7K

370.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

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: August 18, 2026

Last update for Swat: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $121 in Swat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Swat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $75.0 per month, with Swat 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 Swat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swat is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 188% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $657 in Swat 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: $756 in Phuket versus $121 in Swat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $43.22 in Swat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 263% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $438 in Swat versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Swat but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Swat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Swat 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 Swat 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 Swat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 188% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.