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: $425 in Swat versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $643 in Swat versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $862 in Swat versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Swat costs roughly 66% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Swat 68% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.75 PKR 766

$4.56 ฿149

-39.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.36 PKR 3,993

$46.63 ฿1,519

-69.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 PKR 1,458

$8.47 ฿276

-38.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 481

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 PKR 1,073

Cappuccino

$2.05 PKR 571

$3.03 ฿98.6

-32.34%

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

$0.43 PKR 120

$0.69 ฿22.45

-37.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 PKR 60.9

$0.37 ฿11.92

-40.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 PKR 190

$2.18 ฿71.0

-68.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 PKR 185

$1.90 ฿62.0

-64.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 PKR 341

$2.20 ฿71.6

-44.09%

Eggs

$1.20 PKR 335

$2.22 ฿72.4

-45.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.02 PKR 1,674

$19.99 ฿651

-69.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.31 PKR 364

$3.66 ฿119

-64.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.37 PKR 382

$13.25 ฿432

-89.66%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 PKR 251

$3.23 ฿105

-72.14%

Banana (1kg)

$0.36 PKR 100

$1.70 ฿55.3

-78.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 153

$2.39 ฿78.0

-76.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.40 PKR 111

$2.08 ฿67.7

-80.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.41 PKR 115

$1.59 ฿51.8

-74.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$1.48 ฿48.31

-62.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.33 PKR 91.8

$1.03 ฿33.54

-67.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 PKR 105

$0.52 ฿16.83

-26.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.41 PKR 392

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 PKR 257

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 PKR 566

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 PKR 581

$4.25 ฿138

-50.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 PKR 42.96

$1.36 ฿44.32

-88.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.15 PKR 1,988

$11.36 ฿370

-37.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 PKR 102

$3.14 ฿102

-88.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 PKR 122

$1.04 ฿33.74

-57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 PKR 782

$13.77 ฿448

-79.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 PKR 271

$1.34 ฿43.79

-26.87%

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

$21.1K PKR 5.9M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-23.77%

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

$26.6K PKR 7.4M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-21.47%

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

$113 PKR 31.4K

$124 ฿4,025

-8.71%

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

$5.36 PKR 1,490

$13.52 ฿440

-60.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.50 PKR 3,476

$18.69 ฿609

-33.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$6.15 PKR 1,710

$61.8 ฿2,013

-90.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.04 PKR 1,681

$17.25 ฿562

-64.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 PKR 1,192

$9.14 ฿298

-53.06%

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

$19.38 PKR 5,389

$703 ฿22.9K

-97.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,120 PKR 311.4K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-92.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.60 PKR 6,006

$59.5 ฿1,937

-63.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.19 PKR 7,838

$35.07 ฿1,142

-19.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 PKR 24.9K

$115 ฿3,754

-22.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.85 PKR 11.4K

$84.1 ฿2,737

-51.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$75.1 PKR 20.9K

$619 ฿20.1K

-87.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$51.9 PKR 14.4K

$433 ฿14.1K

-87.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 PKR 46.5K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-91.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 PKR 29.8K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-92.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$965 PKR 268.4K

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-73.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$445 PKR 123.7K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-83.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $75.1 in Swat and $619 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 $71.0 vs $293 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 197% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $637 in Swat and $1,892 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: $75.1 in Swat versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $19.38 in Swat versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 312% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $425 in Swat versus $1,261 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 197% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.