Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $490 in Rawalpindi versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $771 in Rawalpindi versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,053 in Rawalpindi versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in Rawalpindi costs roughly 61% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rawalpindi 64% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.93 PKR 534

$4.43 ฿145

-56.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.12 PKR 4,469

$35.07 ฿1,151

-54.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.95 PKR 1,651

$8.96 ฿294

-33.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 PKR 507

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 PKR 966

Cappuccino

$2.00 PKR 555

$3.00 ฿98.4

-33.33%

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

$0.40 PKR 111

$0.77 ฿25.33

-48.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.7

$0.47 ฿15.44

-48.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 PKR 234

$1.82 ฿59.8

-53.30%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 PKR 162

$1.42 ฿46.65

-59.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 PKR 353

$1.55 ฿50.8

-18.06%

Eggs

$1.17 PKR 326

$2.13 ฿69.9

-45.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.15 PKR 1,706

$19.76 ฿648

-68.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 PKR 945

$3.48 ฿114

-2.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.96 PKR 1,375

$11.09 ฿364

-55.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 PKR 312

$2.91 ฿95.5

-61.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 PKR 236

$1.66 ฿54.6

-48.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.23 PKR 342

$2.27 ฿74.5

-45.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 PKR 149

$2.10 ฿68.8

-74.29%

Potato (1kg)

$0.33 PKR 92.3

$1.47 ฿48.24

-77.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 PKR 122

$1.41 ฿46.29

-68.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 PKR 85.7

$1.09 ฿35.78

-71.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 PKR 117

$0.54 ฿17.58

-22.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$16.20 PKR 4,492

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 332

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 PKR 660

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 PKR 555

$4.48 ฿147

-55.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 45.32

$2.26 ฿74.1

-92.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.11 PKR 2,804

$23.07 ฿757

-56.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 PKR 245

$3.04 ฿99.9

-71.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 PKR 100

$1.09 ฿35.82

-66.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 PKR 871

$3.82 ฿125

-17.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 PKR 313

$1.49 ฿48.79

-24.16%

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

$18.1K PKR 5.0M

$27.4K ฿900.3K

-33.93%

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

$24.2K PKR 6.7M

$27.5K ฿902.7K

-12.07%

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

$113 PKR 31.3K

$102 ฿3,340

10.99%

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

$5.51 PKR 1,527

$11.28 ฿370

-51.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.24 PKR 5,058

$17.75 ฿582

2.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.15 PKR 3,369

$54.2 ฿1,777

-77.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.86 PKR 1,903

$10.96 ฿360

-37.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.36 PKR 1,209

$7.85 ฿258

-44.46%

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

$50.0 PKR 13.9K

$577 ฿18.9K

-91.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$838 PKR 232.3K

$11.6K ฿381.6K

-92.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.33 PKR 5,637

$65.4 ฿2,144

-68.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 PKR 7,901

$28.89 ฿948

-1.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 PKR 25.3K

$99.1 ฿3,250

-7.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.76 PKR 10.2K

$90.3 ฿2,961

-59.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$200 PKR 55.5K

$756 ฿24.8K

-73.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$83.4 PKR 23.1K

$487 ฿16.0K

-82.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 PKR 116.2K

$2,085 ฿68.4K

-79.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 PKR 61.7K

$1,207 ฿39.6K

-81.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,138 PKR 315.6K

$3,591 ฿117.8K

-68.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$513 PKR 142.2K

$2,610 ฿85.6K

-80.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 PKR 48.1K

$502 ฿16.5K

-65.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.81

5.57

309.52%

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

Last update for Rawalpindi: August 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $200 in Rawalpindi and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 190% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16.00 in Rawalpindi vs $35.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $272 per month, with Rawalpindi 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

Rawalpindi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rawalpindi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 157% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 190% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $200 in Rawalpindi versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $50.0 in Rawalpindi versus $577 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 169% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $490 in Rawalpindi versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rawalpindi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rawalpindi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rawalpindi 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, Rawalpindi 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 Rawalpindi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.