Cost of Living Comparison Between Skardu and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Skardu and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $377 in Skardu versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $576 in Skardu versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $775 in Skardu versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Skardu costs roughly 70% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Skardu 72% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.79 PKR 497

$4.53 ฿153

-60.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.50 PKR 2,916

$46.36 ฿1,563

-77.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.14 PKR 1,149

$8.65 ฿292

-52.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 PKR 998

Cappuccino

$0.42 PKR 117

$3.09 ฿104

-86.41%

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

$0.34 PKR 94.9

$0.68 ฿22.86

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 PKR 63.9

$0.37 ฿12.42

-37.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 PKR 215

$2.18 ฿73.4

-64.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 PKR 155

$1.82 ฿61.3

-69.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 PKR 336

$2.18 ฿73.4

-44.50%

Eggs

$1.17 PKR 324

$2.24 ฿75.4

-47.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.00 PKR 1,665

$19.93 ฿672

-69.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.60 PKR 721

$3.64 ฿123

-28.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.71 PKR 1,031

$13.56 ฿457

-72.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.05 PKR 290

$3.29 ฿111

-68.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.66 PKR 183

$1.69 ฿56.8

-60.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.67 PKR 186

$2.33 ฿78.7

-71.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.49 PKR 135

$2.03 ฿68.3

-75.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 95.9

$1.60 ฿53.9

-78.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 PKR 140

$1.49 ฿50.4

-66.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 PKR 85.6

$1.01 ฿34.13

-69.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 PKR 100

$0.48 ฿16.07

-25.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.55 PKR 429

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 PKR 259

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 PKR 560

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 PKR 550

$4.45 ฿150

-55.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 PKR 56.5

$1.42 ฿47.84

-85.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.10 PKR 1,972

$11.33 ฿382

-37.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 PKR 233

$3.09 ฿104

-72.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 PKR 111

$1.04 ฿35.15

-61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 PKR 495

$13.63 ฿459

-86.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 PKR 265

$1.31 ฿44.18

-26.72%

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

$21.5K PKR 6.0M

$27.3K ฿919.6K

-21.31%

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

$22.7K PKR 6.3M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-31.73%

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

$102 PKR 28.3K

$123 ฿4,152

-17.18%

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

$7.09 PKR 1,969

$13.81 ฿465

-48.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.40 PKR 3,165

$18.52 ฿624

-38.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.46 PKR 3,458

$60.4 ฿2,035

-79.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.02 PKR 1,670

$16.80 ฿566

-64.17%

Cinema Ticket

$3.62 PKR 1,006

$8.89 ฿300

-59.28%

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

$29.27 PKR 8,128

$687 ฿23.1K

-95.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,105 PKR 306.7K

$15.6K ฿524.2K

-92.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.31 PKR 4,250

$57.6 ฿1,943

-73.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.94 PKR 6,091

$34.66 ฿1,168

-36.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 PKR 19.1K

$115 ฿3,874

-40.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.93 PKR 8,033

$84.9 ฿2,862

-65.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$73.9 PKR 20.5K

$618 ฿20.8K

-88.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$52.7 PKR 14.6K

$443 ฿14.9K

-88.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 PKR 46.7K

$2,047 ฿69.0K

-91.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 PKR 29.9K

$1,506 ฿50.8K

-92.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$974 PKR 270.5K

$3,568 ฿120.3K

-72.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$484 PKR 134.2K

$2,511 ฿84.6K

-80.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

256.47%

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

Last update for Skardu: July 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $73.9 in Skardu and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11.00 in Skardu vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $87.0 vs $292 per month, with Skardu 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

Skardu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skardu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 234% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $566 in Skardu and $1,891 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: $73.9 in Skardu versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $29.27 in Skardu versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 236% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $377 in Skardu versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Skardu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Skardu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Skardu 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, Skardu 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 Skardu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 234% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.