Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $339 in Wah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $532 in Wah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $726 in Wah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 272% more expensive than Wah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Wah 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$1.74 PKR 483

162.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$10.82 PKR 3,007

330.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.49 PKR 971

142.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 PKR 783

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 PKR 1,292

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.22 PKR 340

148.36%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.31 PKR 85.5

122.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.22 PKR 60.8

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

$0.75 PKR 208

190.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.59 PKR 164

222.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.26 PKR 352

74.60%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.19 PKR 331

86.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.21 PKR 1,726

221.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.65 PKR 735

38.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$3.29 PKR 915

302.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$0.99 PKR 274

226.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.59 PKR 165

188.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.67 PKR 186

256.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.56 PKR 156

271.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.37 PKR 104

329.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.56 PKR 154

164.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.64 PKR 177

60.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.40 PKR 111

30.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.98 PKR 271

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 PKR 193

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 PKR 540

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$1.91 PKR 531

122.51%

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

$0.18 PKR 50.2

655.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$7.02 PKR 1,951

61.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.08 PKR 300

190.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.41 PKR 113

153.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.82 PKR 506

656.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.99 PKR 277

35.35%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$22.2K PKR 6.2M

24.81%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$21.4K PKR 6.0M

58.03%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$59.1 PKR 16.4K

108.98%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$3.69 PKR 1,026

266.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$12.74 PKR 3,543

46.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$12.20 PKR 3,392

406.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$5.86 PKR 1,628

194.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.46 PKR 963

164.16%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$28.77 PKR 8,000

2342.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,130 PKR 314.2K

1304.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$15.90 PKR 4,420

273.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$22.30 PKR 6,200

57.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$60.6 PKR 16.9K

90.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$25.91 PKR 7,204

224.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$75.7 PKR 21.0K

717.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$52.9 PKR 14.7K

718.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$165 PKR 45.9K

1150.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$106 PKR 29.6K

1320.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$940 PKR 261.5K

287.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$478 PKR 132.9K

449.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-70.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Wah: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $75.7 in Wah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Wah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $88.0 per month, with Wah 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 Wah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 272% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $508 in Wah 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 $75.7 in Wah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $28.77 in Wah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 231% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $339 in Wah versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Wah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Wah 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 Wah 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 Wah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 272% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.