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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $344 in Wah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $534 in Wah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $723 in Wah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 267% more expensive than in Wah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Wah 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.74 PKR 482

157.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$10.68 PKR 2,964

326.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$3.51 PKR 973

149.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 PKR 797

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 PKR 1,335

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.28 PKR 354

132.03%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.31 PKR 85.4

122.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.22 PKR 60.7

77.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.75 PKR 208

186.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.65 PKR 181

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.31 PKR 364

66.41%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.19 PKR 329

89.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$5.91 PKR 1,641

238.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.69 PKR 747

34.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$3.14 PKR 871

331.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$0.99 PKR 276

227.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$0.58 PKR 161

182.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$0.65 PKR 181

258.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$0.56 PKR 156

269.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.35 PKR 96.4

342.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.52 PKR 144

180.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.64 PKR 177

53.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.42 PKR 117

14.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.03 PKR 286

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 PKR 187

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 PKR 541

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$1.81 PKR 503

140.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.19 PKR 52.0

647.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$7.02 PKR 1,947

64.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.08 PKR 300

193.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.43 PKR 121

139.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$1.78 PKR 495

680.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$0.91 PKR 252

47.25%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$22.0K PKR 6.1M

26.47%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$21.1K PKR 5.9M

58.26%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$58.9 PKR 16.3K

108.98%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$3.85 PKR 1,069

257.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$12.92 PKR 3,585

41.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$12.15 PKR 3,373

399.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$5.90 PKR 1,638

190.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$3.61 PKR 1,002

145.71%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$28.64 PKR 7,949

2301.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$1,115 PKR 309.5K

1315.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$16.29 PKR 4,520

264.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$22.24 PKR 6,172

55.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$59.1 PKR 16.4K

94.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$26.29 PKR 7,298

218.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$73.9 PKR 20.5K

741.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$50.9 PKR 14.1K

776.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$167 PKR 46.4K

1117.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$105 PKR 29.0K

1331.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$771 PKR 213.9K

348.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$417 PKR 115.8K

506.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Wah: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $73.9 in Wah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Wah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 267% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $517 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: $621 in Phuket versus $73.9 in Wah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $28.64 in Wah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 230% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $344 in Wah versus $1,264 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 267% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.