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 $425 in Swat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $643 in Swat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $862 in Swat.

Living in Phuket is roughly 197% more expensive than Swat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Swat 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.75 PKR 766

65.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$14.36 PKR 3,993

224.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.25 PKR 1,458

61.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 481

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 PKR 1,073

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.05 PKR 571

47.80%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.43 PKR 120

60.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.22 PKR 60.9

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.68 PKR 190

220.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.67 PKR 185

183.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.23 PKR 341

78.86%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.20 PKR 335

85.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.02 PKR 1,674

232.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.31 PKR 364

179.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$1.37 PKR 382

867.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$0.90 PKR 251

258.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.36 PKR 100

372.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.55 PKR 153

334.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.40 PKR 111

420.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.41 PKR 115

287.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.55 PKR 152

169.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.33 PKR 91.8

212.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.38 PKR 105

36.84%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.41 PKR 392

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 PKR 257

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 PKR 566

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.09 PKR 581

103.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.15 PKR 42.96

806.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$7.15 PKR 1,988

58.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.37 PKR 102

748.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.44 PKR 122

136.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.81 PKR 782

390.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.98 PKR 271

36.73%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.1K PKR 5.9M

31.19%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$26.6K PKR 7.4M

27.35%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$113 PKR 31.4K

9.55%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$5.36 PKR 1,490

152.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$12.50 PKR 3,476

49.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$6.15 PKR 1,710

905.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$6.04 PKR 1,681

185.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.29 PKR 1,192

113.05%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$19.38 PKR 5,389

3525.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,120 PKR 311.4K

1317.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$21.60 PKR 6,006

175.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$28.19 PKR 7,838

24.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$89.5 PKR 24.9K

28.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$40.85 PKR 11.4K

105.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$75.1 PKR 20.9K

723.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$51.9 PKR 14.4K

732.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$167 PKR 46.5K

1132.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$107 PKR 29.8K

1308.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$965 PKR 268.4K

277.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$445 PKR 123.7K

490.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

20.2

-73.61%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Swat: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $75.1 in Swat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Swat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $71.0 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 197% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $637 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: $619 in Phuket versus $75.1 in Swat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $19.38 in Swat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 312% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $425 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 197% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.