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: $1,318 in Qairawan versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,238 in Qairawan versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,157 in Qairawan versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Qairawan is roughly 5% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Qairawan 1% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 KWD 2.37

$4.55 ฿153

69.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 KWD 17.99

$46.18 ฿1,554

26.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 KWD 2.69

$8.84 ฿298

-0.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 KWD 0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 KWD 1.04

Cappuccino

$5.34 KWD 1.64

$3.06 ฿103

74.51%

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

$0.58 KWD 0.18

$0.73 ฿24.42

-20.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$0.40 ฿13.40

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 KWD 0.45

$2.26 ฿76.0

-34.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 KWD 0.34

$1.81 ฿60.9

-39.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 KWD 0.51

$2.25 ฿75.8

-26.67%

Eggs

$2.04 KWD 0.63

$2.25 ฿75.6

-9.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.38 KWD 1.34

$19.51 ฿656

-77.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 KWD 1.97

$3.65 ฿123

75.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.52 KWD 2.93

$13.05 ฿439

-27.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 KWD 0.71

$3.23 ฿109

-28.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 KWD 0.49

$1.62 ฿54.4

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 KWD 0.47

$2.38 ฿80.2

-35.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

$2.03 ฿68.2

-29.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 KWD 0.39

$1.53 ฿51.6

-16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 KWD 0.34

$1.50 ฿50.5

-26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 KWD 0.49

$0.98 ฿32.93

64.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KWD 0.14

$0.52 ฿17.40

-13.46%

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)

$1.37 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 KWD 0.90

$4.44 ฿149

-34.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$1.41 ฿47.49

-37.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 KWD 13.59

$11.70 ฿394

277.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 KWD 1.00

$3.11 ฿105

4.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 KWD 0.98

$1.04 ฿35.08

207.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.54 KWD 5.08

$14.11 ฿475

17.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.34 KWD 0.10

$1.31 ฿44.13

-74.05%

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

$20.1K KWD 6,165

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-27.89%

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

$19.4K KWD 5,972

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-41.52%

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

$62.1 KWD 19.09

$122 ฿4,120

-49.26%

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

$18.09 KWD 5.56

$13.59 ฿457

33.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.13 KWD 8.03

$18.70 ฿629

39.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.3 KWD 29.30

$60.5 ฿2,035

57.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.20 KWD 14.20

$16.98 ฿572

172.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 KWD 3.58

$9.07 ฿305

28.45%

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

$279 KWD 85.8

$706 ฿23.8K

-60.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,047 KWD 1,859

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-61.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.38 KWD 12.72

$58.6 ฿1,970

-29.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.79 KWD 13.15

$35.36 ฿1,190

21.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 KWD 26.55

$115 ฿3,885

-25.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 KWD 25.58

$83.7 ฿2,818

-0.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 KWD 245

$626 ฿21.1K

27.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 KWD 187

$445 ฿15.0K

36.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 KWD 486

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-22.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 KWD 395

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-13.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

5.33

33.96%

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

Last update for Qairawan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $796 in Qairawan and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in Qairawan vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $167 vs $289, 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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,978 in Qairawan and $1,875 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: $796 in Qairawan versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Qairawan versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Qairawan pay roughly 74% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,318 in Qairawan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Qairawan. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Qairawan, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Qairawan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.