Cost of Living Comparison Between Swat and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Swat and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $431 in Swat versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $641 in Swat versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $852 in Swat versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Swat costs roughly 65% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Swat 68% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 PKR 781

$4.63 ฿151

-39.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.08 PKR 3,925

$46.84 ฿1,532

-69.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.16 PKR 1,438

$8.84 ฿289

-41.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 PKR 505

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 PKR 1,096

Cappuccino

$2.06 PKR 573

$3.00 ฿98.0

-31.33%

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

$0.42 PKR 118

$0.74 ฿24.25

-43.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 67.3

$0.37 ฿11.95

-35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 PKR 189

$2.26 ฿73.9

-69.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 PKR 187

$1.84 ฿60.1

-63.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 PKR 344

$2.24 ฿73.4

-45.09%

Eggs

$1.26 PKR 351

$2.32 ฿75.7

-45.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 PKR 1,741

$19.67 ฿643

-68.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.36 PKR 380

$3.65 ฿119

-62.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.43 PKR 398

$13.10 ฿428

-89.08%

Apples (1kg)

$0.86 PKR 239

$3.39 ฿111

-74.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 102

$1.64 ฿53.7

-78.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.51 PKR 141

$2.41 ฿79.0

-78.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.41 PKR 113

$2.03 ฿66.4

-79.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 PKR 108

$1.56 ฿50.9

-75.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 PKR 142

$1.50 ฿48.94

-66.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 PKR 85.7

$1.02 ฿33.50

-69.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 PKR 114

$0.49 ฿16.00

-16.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.44 PKR 401

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PKR 244

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 PKR 563

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 PKR 594

$4.45 ฿145

-52.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 PKR 53.4

$1.40 ฿45.81

-86.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.13 PKR 1,989

$11.48 ฿376

-37.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.36 PKR 101

$3.12 ฿102

-88.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 PKR 121

$1.00 ฿32.67

-57.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 PKR 807

$14.09 ฿461

-79.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 PKR 255

$1.35 ฿44.19

-32.59%

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

$20.8K PKR 5.8M

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-23.43%

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

$25.8K PKR 7.2M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.64%

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

$112 PKR 31.2K

$125 ฿4,087

-10.37%

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

$5.43 PKR 1,513

$13.57 ฿444

-59.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.52 PKR 3,489

$18.52 ฿606

-32.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$6.12 PKR 1,706

$61.5 ฿2,010

-90.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.99 PKR 1,670

$16.84 ฿551

-64.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 PKR 1,199

$9.19 ฿300

-53.21%

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

$19.32 PKR 5,385

$698 ฿22.8K

-97.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,104 PKR 307.8K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-92.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.69 PKR 6,046

$57.8 ฿1,889

-62.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.29 PKR 7,888

$35.24 ฿1,152

-19.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 PKR 24.7K

$113 ฿3,699

-21.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.89 PKR 11.4K

$86.4 ฿2,825

-52.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$75.7 PKR 21.1K

$616 ฿20.1K

-87.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$52.1 PKR 14.5K

$446 ฿14.6K

-88.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$168 PKR 46.8K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-91.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$106 PKR 29.5K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-92.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$833 PKR 232.1K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-77.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$572 PKR 159.4K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-78.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.2

5.33

278.99%

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

Last update for Swat: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $75.7 in Swat and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $14.00 in Swat vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $72.0 vs $292 per month, with Swat 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

Swat vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swat is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 186% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $647 in Swat and $1,847 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: $75.7 in Swat versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $19.32 in Swat versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 305% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $431 in Swat versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Swat but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Swat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Swat 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, Swat 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 Swat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.