Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tehran

For one person, living is cheaper in Tehran: $629 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tehran

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 Tehran actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $629 in Tehran.

Phuket $1,278
Tehran $629

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,066 in Tehran.

Phuket $2,216
Tehran $1,066

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,503 in Tehran.

Phuket $3,154
Tehran $1,503

Living in Phuket is roughly 103% more expensive than in Tehran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tehran 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.45 $3.45

29.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$16.28 $16.28

99.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.09 $4.09

115.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 $0.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$1.32 $1.32

114.39%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.53 $0.53

64.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.72 $1.72

-71.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.71 $0.71

133.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.62 $0.62

135.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.34 $3.34

-55.09%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.26 $1.26

65.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$4.51 $4.51

322.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.36 $3.36

-1.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.13 $10.13

7.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.38 $1.38

112.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.87 $1.87

-9.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.14 $1.14

97.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.64 $0.64

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.55 $0.55

174.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.47 $0.47

193.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.53 $0.53

101.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.30 $0.30

73.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.53 $2.53

66.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.10 $0.10

1350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$5.47 $5.47

935.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.52 $0.52

480.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.29 $0.29

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$3.09 $3.09

19.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.09 $0.09

1533.33%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$51.0K $51.0K

-47.45%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$45.1K $45.1K

-40.79%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$12.88 $12.88

648.06%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$1.60 $1.60

603.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$3.85 $3.85

337.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$24.27 $24.27

177.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$13.15 $13.15

-18.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$1.95 $1.95

284.62%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$109 $109

338.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$2,557 $2,557

340.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$26.91 $26.91

131.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$37.60 $37.60

-24.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$118 $118

-19.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$71.7 $71.7

19.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$430 $430

66.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$269 $269

82.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$961 $961

100.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$628 $628

127.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,268 $1,268

229.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$717 $717

324.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$211 $211

138.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.79

-77.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tehran: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Tehran

$269 42.8% 45.2% $222

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Tehran

$126 20.1% 52.5% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Tehran

$18 2.9% 85.3% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tehran

$114 18.2% 6.3% $7.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tehran

$65 10.3% 46.8% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Tehran

$28 4.5% 65.7% $54

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Tehran

$7.8 1.3% 88.9% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $430 in Tehran. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $16 in Tehran for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $126 per month, with Tehran cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇷 Tehran

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

13:34 1:34 PM

3 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

8,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Tehran 5,680 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tehran

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 Tehran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tehran is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.4 times higher, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $430 in Tehran. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $109 in Tehran. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 110% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $629 in Tehran versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tehran but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tehran the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Tehran gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.