Cost of Living Comparison Between Qairawan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Qairawan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,259 in Qairawan versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,146 in Qairawan versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,033 in Qairawan versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Qairawan costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Qairawan 9% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.97 KWD 2.44

$4.66 ฿154

71.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 KWD 18.12

$32.22 ฿1,065

83.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 KWD 2.54

$8.68 ฿287

-4.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 KWD 0.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 KWD 1.02

Cappuccino

$5.07 KWD 1.55

$2.90 ฿95.8

74.83%

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

$0.56 KWD 0.17

$0.84 ฿27.89

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 KWD 0.12

$0.49 ฿16.16

-22.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 KWD 0.41

$1.89 ฿62.3

-30.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 KWD 0.26

$1.41 ฿46.54

-39.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 KWD 0.58

$1.62 ฿53.6

17.28%

Eggs

$2.06 KWD 0.63

$2.24 ฿74.1

-8.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 KWD 1.35

$19.84 ฿656

-77.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 KWD 1.73

$3.48 ฿115

61.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 KWD 3.19

$11.37 ฿376

-8.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 KWD 0.75

$2.90 ฿95.8

-15.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 KWD 0.59

$1.72 ฿57.0

11.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 KWD 0.41

$2.27 ฿75.1

-41.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 KWD 0.47

$2.13 ฿70.4

-27.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

$1.47 ฿48.72

-5.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 KWD 0.29

$1.42 ฿46.92

-32.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 KWD 0.49

$1.10 ฿36.25

46.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 KWD 0.14

$0.60 ฿19.76

-21.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.31 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 KWD 0.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 KWD 0.82

$4.31 ฿142

-37.59%

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)

$0.78 KWD 0.24

$2.25 ฿74.2

-65.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 KWD 1.01

$3.10 ฿102

6.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 KWD 1.02

$1.08 ฿35.56

207.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.45 KWD 5.04

$3.87 ฿128

325.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 KWD 0.11

$1.43 ฿47.16

-75.52%

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

$21.3K KWD 6,524

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-23.42%

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

$20.4K KWD 6,259

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-24.35%

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

$65.0 KWD 19.93

$105 ฿3,462

-37.97%

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

$21.21 KWD 6.50

$11.39 ฿376

86.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.58 KWD 9.07

$17.54 ฿580

68.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.0 KWD 29.43

$54.3 ฿1,795

76.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$11.12 KWD 3.41

$7.78 ฿257

42.93%

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

$275 KWD 84.3

$576 ฿19.0K

-52.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,505 KWD 2,301

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-35.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.86 KWD 11.61

$63.6 ฿2,103

-40.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.21 KWD 12.02

$29.10 ฿961

34.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 KWD 29.96

$96.2 ฿3,179

1.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.5 KWD 26.84

$90.0 ฿2,974

-2.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 KWD 221

$733 ฿24.2K

-1.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$586 KWD 180

$501 ฿16.5K

16.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,771 KWD 543

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-16.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 KWD 420

$1,252 ฿41.4K

9.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

5.57

17.24%

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

Last update for Qairawan: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $720 in Qairawan and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in Qairawan vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $165 vs $275, with Qairawan cheaper for home cooking.

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

Qairawan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qairawan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,888 in Qairawan and $1,898 in Phuket 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: $720 in Qairawan versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $275 in Qairawan versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Qairawan – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,259 in Qairawan versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qairawan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Qairawan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Qairawan 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, Qairawan and Phuket 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 Qairawan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.