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: $1,190 in Phuket versus $468 in Swat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $726 in Swat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $984 in Swat.

Living in Phuket is roughly 154% more expensive than in Swat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Swat 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$3.67 PKR 1,015

18.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,090

$23.36 PKR 6,465

38.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿283

$3.60 PKR 995

133.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 PKR 986

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 PKR 1,951

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.2

$2.62 PKR 726

7.25%

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

$0.87 ฿29.38

$0.32 PKR 89.7

171.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.44

$0.21 PKR 58.0

119.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.3

$0.98 PKR 270

74.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.56

$0.42 PKR 116

245.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.30 PKR 359

20.00%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.5

$1.26 PKR 349

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿656

$5.97 PKR 1,653

227.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$3.28 PKR 907

3.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$5.48 PKR 1,516

103.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿95.1

$1.29 PKR 358

119.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$0.81 PKR 223

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.7

$1.04 PKR 288

113.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿72.1

$0.55 PKR 153

290.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.1

$0.28 PKR 77.6

432.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.53

$0.38 PKR 106

250.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.82

$0.28 PKR 76.9

282.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.06

$0.38 PKR 106

34.21%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.80 PKR 499

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 PKR 341

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 643

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$2.35 PKR 649

86.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿630

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.8

$0.18 PKR 48.66

1105.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿748

$10.79 PKR 2,986

106.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$1.28 PKR 355

135.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.53

$0.71 PKR 196

49.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿125

$1.64 PKR 454

126.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.03

$1.32 PKR 365

8.33%

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

$26.3K ฿884.7K

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

20.80%

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

$26.2K ฿879.9K

$24.1K PKR 6.7M

8.89%

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

$96.7 ฿3,246

$104 PKR 28.7K

-6.88%

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

$11.41 ฿383

$5.28 PKR 1,462

116.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿574

$16.25 PKR 4,498

5.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,773

$14.86 PKR 4,113

255.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿372

$8.50 PKR 2,352

30.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿257

$4.25 PKR 1,176

80.00%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$43.27 PKR 12.0K

1182.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿378.8K

$1,057 PKR 292.6K

967.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,130

$24.78 PKR 6,859

155.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿961

$34.29 PKR 9,491

-16.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,248

$25.41 PKR 7,032

280.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,975

$40.40 PKR 11.2K

119.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.7K

$124 PKR 34.3K

492.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.4K

$76.6 PKR 21.2K

498.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.6K

$274 PKR 75.9K

666.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.9K

$170 PKR 47.1K

597.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.3K

$911 PKR 252.3K

283.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.7K

$540 PKR 149.5K

361.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

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 4, 2026

Last update for Swat: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $124 in Swat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Swat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $100 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 154% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,785 in Phuket and $702 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: $735 in Phuket versus $124 in Swat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $43.27 in Swat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 167% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $468 in Swat versus $1,190 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 154% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.