Cost of Living Comparison Between Swabi and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Swabi and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $345 in Swabi versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $541 in Swabi versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $737 in Swabi versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Swabi costs roughly 72% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Swabi 74% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.87 PKR 796

$4.55 ฿153

-36.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.34 PKR 3,981

$46.18 ฿1,553

-68.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.77 PKR 770

$8.84 ฿297

-68.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 PKR 503

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 PKR 500

Cappuccino

$0.55 PKR 153

$3.06 ฿103

-82.03%

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

$0.29 PKR 81.5

$0.73 ฿24.40

-60.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 PKR 42.78

$0.40 ฿13.39

-62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 PKR 170

$2.26 ฿76.0

-73.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 PKR 85.4

$1.81 ฿60.9

-82.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 PKR 237

$2.25 ฿75.8

-62.22%

Eggs

$1.08 PKR 301

$2.25 ฿75.5

-52.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.28 PKR 1,744

$19.51 ฿656

-67.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.34 PKR 648

$3.65 ฿123

-35.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.71 PKR 754

$13.05 ฿439

-79.23%

Apples (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 154

$3.23 ฿109

-82.97%

Banana (1kg)

$0.34 PKR 93.9

$1.62 ฿54.4

-79.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.50 PKR 140

$2.38 ฿80.1

-78.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 81.4

$2.03 ฿68.1

-85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.19 PKR 54.1

$1.53 ฿51.6

-87.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 143

$1.50 ฿50.5

-65.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.34 PKR 93.1

$0.98 ฿32.91

-65.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 PKR 81.1

$0.52 ฿17.39

-44.23%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.47 PKR 409

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 PKR 192

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 PKR 558

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 PKR 578

$4.44 ฿149

-53.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 PKR 45.58

$1.41 ฿47.46

-88.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.25 PKR 2,013

$11.70 ฿393

-38.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.68 PKR 188

$3.11 ฿105

-78.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 PKR 57.2

$1.04 ฿35.06

-79.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 PKR 483

$14.11 ฿474

-87.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 PKR 251

$1.31 ฿44.10

-31.30%

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

$10.7K PKR 3.0M

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-61.62%

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

$12.2K PKR 3.4M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-63.16%

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

$54.1 PKR 15.0K

$122 ฿4,118

-55.81%

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

$3.62 PKR 1,004

$13.59 ฿457

-73.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.35 PKR 5,096

$18.70 ฿629

-1.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.58 PKR 3,494

$60.5 ฿2,034

-79.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.00 PKR 1,665

$16.98 ฿571

-64.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.14 PKR 1,149

$9.07 ฿305

-54.36%

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

$17.34 PKR 4,814

$706 ฿23.8K

-97.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,097 PKR 304.7K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-93.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$3.57 PKR 990

$58.6 ฿1,969

-93.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.82 PKR 7,726

$35.36 ฿1,189

-21.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 PKR 24.4K

$115 ฿3,883

-24.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.25 PKR 11.2K

$83.7 ฿2,816

-51.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$76.6 PKR 21.3K

$626 ฿21.0K

-87.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$52.7 PKR 14.6K

$445 ฿15.0K

-88.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$164 PKR 45.6K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-91.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 PKR 30.0K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-92.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$967 PKR 268.6K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-72.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$511 PKR 141.8K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-80.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$162 PKR 44.9K

$500 ฿16.8K

-67.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

181.43%

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

Last update for Swabi: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $76.6 in Swabi and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 209% 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: $14.00 in Swabi vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $70.0 vs $289 per month, with Swabi 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

Swabi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swabi is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 262% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 209% 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: $76.6 in Swabi versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $17.34 in Swabi versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 311% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $345 in Swabi versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Swabi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Swabi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Swabi 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, Swabi 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 Swabi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.