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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $336 in Wah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $530 in Wah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $723 in Wah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 266% more expensive than Wah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Wah 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.79 PKR 498

158.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$10.59 PKR 2,953

342.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.58 PKR 998

146.93%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 PKR 799

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 PKR 1,356

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.28 PKR 356

134.38%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.33 PKR 93.2

124.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.24 PKR 67.3

54.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.72 PKR 201

213.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.60 PKR 168

206.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.31 PKR 366

70.99%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.14 PKR 317

103.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.18 PKR 1,724

218.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.56 PKR 712

42.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$3.14 PKR 876

317.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$0.99 PKR 277

242.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.58 PKR 163

182.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.61 PKR 171

295.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.56 PKR 157

262.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.35 PKR 97.1

345.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.51 PKR 143

194.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.60 PKR 167

70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.40 PKR 111

22.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.40 PKR 390

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PKR 208

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 PKR 565

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.89 PKR 528

135.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.19 PKR 52.8

636.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$7.19 PKR 2,003

59.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.04 PKR 291

200.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.44 PKR 123

127.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$1.76 PKR 490

700.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.98 PKR 272

37.76%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$22.5K PKR 6.3M

20.81%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.4K PKR 6.0M

53.79%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$59.4 PKR 16.6K

110.44%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.72 PKR 1,036

264.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$12.65 PKR 3,527

46.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$12.61 PKR 3,515

387.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$6.04 PKR 1,684

178.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.62 PKR 1,010

153.87%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$27.81 PKR 7,751

2410.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,151 PKR 320.9K

1254.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$15.94 PKR 4,443

262.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$22.22 PKR 6,196

58.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$60.2 PKR 16.8K

87.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$25.75 PKR 7,178

235.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$75.4 PKR 21.0K

716.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$52.3 PKR 14.6K

752.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$164 PKR 45.8K

1146.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$107 PKR 30.0K

1288.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$801 PKR 223.2K

371.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$569 PKR 158.6K

365.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Wah: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $75.4 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 $292 vs $87.0 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 266% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $504 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: $616 in Phuket versus $75.4 in Wah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $27.81 in Wah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 237% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $336 in Wah versus $1,232 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 266% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.