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: $468 in Swat versus $1,190 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $726 in Swat versus $2,006 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $984 in Swat versus $2,822 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Swat 65% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 PKR 1,015

$4.35 ฿146

-15.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.36 PKR 6,465

$32.45 ฿1,090

-28.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.60 PKR 995

$8.42 ฿283

-57.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 PKR 986

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 PKR 1,951

Cappuccino

$2.62 PKR 726

$2.81 ฿94.2

-6.76%

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

$0.32 PKR 89.7

$0.87 ฿29.38

-63.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 PKR 58.0

$0.46 ฿15.44

-54.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 270

$1.71 ฿57.3

-42.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 PKR 116

$1.45 ฿48.56

-71.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PKR 359

$1.56 ฿52.4

-16.67%

Eggs

$1.26 PKR 349

$2.10 ฿70.5

-40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 PKR 1,653

$19.53 ฿656

-69.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 PKR 907

$3.40 ฿114

-3.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.48 PKR 1,516

$11.14 ฿374

-50.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 PKR 358

$2.83 ฿95.1

-54.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 PKR 223

$1.62 ฿54.5

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 PKR 288

$2.22 ฿74.7

-53.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 153

$2.15 ฿72.1

-74.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.28 PKR 77.6

$1.49 ฿50.1

-81.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.38 PKR 106

$1.33 ฿44.53

-71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 PKR 76.9

$1.07 ฿35.82

-73.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 PKR 106

$0.51 ฿17.06

-25.49%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.80 PKR 499

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 PKR 341

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 643

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 PKR 649

$4.38 ฿147

-46.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿630

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 PKR 48.66

$2.17 ฿72.8

-91.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.79 PKR 2,986

$22.28 ฿748

-51.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 PKR 355

$3.02 ฿101

-57.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 PKR 196

$1.06 ฿35.53

-33.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 PKR 454

$3.71 ฿125

-55.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 PKR 365

$1.43 ฿48.03

-7.69%

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

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

$26.3K ฿884.7K

-17.22%

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

$24.1K PKR 6.7M

$26.2K ฿879.9K

-8.17%

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

$104 PKR 28.7K

$96.7 ฿3,246

7.39%

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

$5.28 PKR 1,462

$11.41 ฿383

-53.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.25 PKR 4,498

$17.11 ฿574

-5.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.86 PKR 4,113

$52.8 ฿1,773

-71.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.50 PKR 2,352

$11.07 ฿372

-23.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 PKR 1,176

$7.65 ฿257

-44.44%

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

$43.27 PKR 12.0K

$555 ฿18.6K

-92.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,057 PKR 292.6K

$11.3K ฿378.8K

-90.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.78 PKR 6,859

$63.4 ฿2,130

-60.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.29 PKR 9,491

$28.61 ฿961

19.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.41 PKR 7,032

$96.7 ฿3,248

-73.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.40 PKR 11.2K

$88.6 ฿2,975

-54.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$124 PKR 34.3K

$735 ฿24.7K

-83.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.6 PKR 21.2K

$458 ฿15.4K

-83.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 PKR 75.9K

$2,102 ฿70.6K

-86.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 PKR 47.1K

$1,187 ฿39.9K

-85.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$911 PKR 252.3K

$3,493 ฿117.3K

-73.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$540 PKR 149.5K

$2,491 ฿83.7K

-78.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.08

5.57

134.83%

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

Last update for Swat: October 3, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $124 in Swat and $735 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Swat vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $100 vs $268 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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 154% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $702 in Swat and $1,785 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: $124 in Swat versus $735 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $43.27 in Swat versus $555 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 167% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $468 in Swat versus $1,190 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 154% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.