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: $1,346 in Qairawan versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,219 in Qairawan versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,092 in Qairawan versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Qairawan is roughly 6% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Qairawan is 0% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 KWD 2.36

$4.70 ฿153

63.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 KWD 17.93

$45.37 ฿1,482

28.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.61 KWD 2.64

$8.43 ฿275

2.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 KWD 0.75

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 KWD 1.04

Cappuccino

$5.47 KWD 1.68

$2.93 ฿95.6

86.69%

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

$0.63 KWD 0.19

$0.69 ฿22.40

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

$0.37 ฿11.99

-10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 KWD 0.45

$2.23 ฿72.9

-34.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

$1.83 ฿59.8

-42.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 KWD 0.53

$2.17 ฿70.8

-20.28%

Eggs

$2.07 KWD 0.63

$2.21 ฿72.3

-6.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.38 KWD 1.34

$19.74 ฿645

-77.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 KWD 1.98

$3.63 ฿119

77.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.73 KWD 2.98

$13.53 ฿442

-28.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 KWD 0.71

$3.28 ฿107

-29.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 KWD 0.50

$1.61 ฿52.6

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 KWD 0.48

$2.41 ฿78.6

-34.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

$2.08 ฿68.1

-31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 KWD 0.37

$1.53 ฿49.93

-20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 KWD 0.35

$1.48 ฿48.36

-22.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 KWD 0.49

$0.99 ฿32.29

62.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KWD 0.14

$0.51 ฿16.67

-9.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 KWD 0.91

$4.41 ฿144

-32.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 KWD 0.25

$1.37 ฿44.79

-39.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.71 KWD 13.71

$11.39 ฿372

292.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 KWD 0.99

$3.02 ฿98.6

6.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 KWD 0.98

$0.99 ฿32.48

221.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.16 KWD 4.96

$14.10 ฿461

14.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.37 KWD 0.11

$1.36 ฿44.51

-72.79%

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

$20.5K KWD 6,273

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-27.48%

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

$19.4K KWD 5,961

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-40.93%

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

$61.8 KWD 18.96

$122 ฿3,975

-49.21%

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

$18.26 KWD 5.60

$13.57 ฿443

34.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.69 KWD 7.88

$18.31 ฿598

40.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.5 KWD 29.30

$60.2 ฿1,967

58.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.91 KWD 14.39

$17.14 ฿560

173.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.22 KWD 3.44

$8.69 ฿284

29.11%

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

$281 KWD 86.2

$693 ฿22.6K

-59.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,152 KWD 1,887

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-60.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.94 KWD 12.86

$59.5 ฿1,944

-29.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.22 KWD 13.25

$34.77 ฿1,136

24.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 KWD 27.17

$115 ฿3,743

-22.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 KWD 25.45

$83.3 ฿2,720

-0.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 KWD 248

$613 ฿20.0K

31.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 KWD 190

$437 ฿14.3K

42.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,544 KWD 473

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-26.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 KWD 399

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-13.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $808 in Qairawan and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Qairawan vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $168 vs $293, 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 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,019 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: $808 in Qairawan versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $281 in Qairawan versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Qairawan pay roughly 75% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,346 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 6% less than in Qairawan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.