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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $422 in Wah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $632 in Wah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $843 in Wah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 200% more expensive than in Wah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Wah 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$1.78 PKR 493

161.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$10.69 PKR 2,961

201.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.34 PKR 1,480

62.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PKR 716

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 PKR 584

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.25 PKR 346

132.00%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.31 PKR 85.4

170.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.24 PKR 66.5

104.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.84 PKR 231

125.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.61 PKR 170

131.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.26 PKR 349

28.57%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.22 PKR 339

83.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$8.83 PKR 2,447

124.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.65 PKR 734

31.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$4.01 PKR 1,112

183.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.05 PKR 290

176.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.67 PKR 184

156.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.58 PKR 159

291.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.47 PKR 132

353.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.29 PKR 79.7

406.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.52 PKR 144

173.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.54 PKR 149

103.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.40 PKR 110

50.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.55 PKR 154

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 PKR 145

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 PKR 207

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.34 PKR 648

84.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.21 PKR 57.2

971.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$9.88 PKR 2,737

137.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.06 PKR 293

192.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.11 PKR 307

-2.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$2.88 PKR 797

34.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.14 PKR 316

25.44%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

17.97%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

14.86%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$68.3 PKR 18.9K

53.42%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$5.66 PKR 1,568

101.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$14.31 PKR 3,965

22.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$14.78 PKR 4,094

267.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.19 PKR 1,992

8.21%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$26.54 PKR 7,352

2072.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$2,037 PKR 564.3K

468.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$18.67 PKR 5,172

240.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$26.79 PKR 7,422

8.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$54.6 PKR 15.1K

76.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$29.66 PKR 8,217

203.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$126 PKR 34.9K

482.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$76.7 PKR 21.2K

553.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$252 PKR 69.8K

743.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$150 PKR 41.5K

736.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$907 PKR 251.2K

289.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$519 PKR 143.7K

405.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.83

-52.92%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Wah: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $126 in Wah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Wah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $99.0 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, Getting Around. The 200% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $632 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: $733 in Phuket versus $126 in Wah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $26.54 in Wah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 178% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $422 in Wah versus $1,265 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 200% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.