Cost of Living Comparison Between Wah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Wah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $344 in Wah versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $534 in Wah versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $723 in Wah versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Wah costs roughly 73% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Wah 74% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.74 PKR 482

$4.48 ฿150

-61.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.68 PKR 2,964

$45.59 ฿1,525

-76.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.51 PKR 973

$8.76 ฿293

-59.93%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 PKR 797

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.81 PKR 1,335

Cappuccino

$1.28 PKR 354

$2.97 ฿99.3

-56.90%

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

$0.31 PKR 85.4

$0.69 ฿22.96

-55.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 PKR 60.7

$0.39 ฿13.07

-43.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 PKR 208

$2.15 ฿71.8

-65.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 PKR 181

$1.82 ฿60.7

-64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 PKR 364

$2.18 ฿73.1

-39.91%

Eggs

$1.19 PKR 329

$2.25 ฿75.2

-47.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.91 PKR 1,641

$20.00 ฿669

-70.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.69 PKR 747

$3.63 ฿121

-25.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.14 PKR 871

$13.56 ฿453

-76.84%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 276

$3.24 ฿109

-69.44%

Banana (1kg)

$0.58 PKR 161

$1.64 ฿54.7

-64.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.65 PKR 181

$2.33 ฿78.0

-72.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 156

$2.07 ฿69.3

-72.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 PKR 96.4

$1.55 ฿51.8

-77.42%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$1.46 ฿48.67

-64.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 PKR 177

$0.98 ฿32.94

-34.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 PKR 117

$0.48 ฿16.13

-12.50%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.03 PKR 286

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 PKR 187

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 PKR 541

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.81 PKR 503

$4.35 ฿146

-58.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 PKR 52.0

$1.42 ฿47.40

-86.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.02 PKR 1,947

$11.57 ฿387

-39.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 PKR 300

$3.17 ฿106

-65.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 PKR 121

$1.03 ฿34.51

-58.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.78 PKR 495

$13.89 ฿465

-87.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 PKR 252

$1.34 ฿44.96

-32.09%

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

$22.0K PKR 6.1M

$27.8K ฿929.6K

-20.93%

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

$21.1K PKR 5.9M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-36.81%

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

$58.9 PKR 16.3K

$123 ฿4,116

-52.15%

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

$3.85 PKR 1,069

$13.77 ฿461

-72.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.92 PKR 3,585

$18.33 ฿613

-29.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.15 PKR 3,373

$60.7 ฿2,030

-79.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 PKR 1,638

$17.16 ฿574

-65.62%

Cinema Ticket

$3.61 PKR 1,002

$8.87 ฿297

-59.30%

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

$28.64 PKR 7,949

$688 ฿23.0K

-95.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,115 PKR 309.5K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-92.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.29 PKR 4,520

$59.3 ฿1,984

-72.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.24 PKR 6,172

$34.69 ฿1,160

-35.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 PKR 16.4K

$115 ฿3,853

-48.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.29 PKR 7,298

$83.8 ฿2,802

-68.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$73.9 PKR 20.5K

$621 ฿20.8K

-88.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.9 PKR 14.1K

$446 ฿14.9K

-88.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$167 PKR 46.4K

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-91.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$105 PKR 29.0K

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-93.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$771 PKR 213.9K

$3,455 ฿115.6K

-77.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$417 PKR 115.8K

$2,531 ฿84.7K

-83.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

237.71%

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

Last update for Wah: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $73.9 in Wah and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11.00 in Wah vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $88.0 vs $291 per month, with Wah 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

Wah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 267% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $517 in Wah and $1,896 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 Wah versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $28.64 in Wah versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 230% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $344 in Wah versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Wah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Wah 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, Wah 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 Wah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 267% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.