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: $422 in Wah versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $632 in Wah versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $843 in Wah versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Wah costs roughly 67% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Wah 69% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.78 PKR 493

$4.66 ฿154

-61.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.69 PKR 2,961

$32.22 ฿1,065

-66.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 PKR 1,480

$8.68 ฿287

-38.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 PKR 716

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 PKR 584

Cappuccino

$1.25 PKR 346

$2.90 ฿95.8

-56.90%

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

$0.31 PKR 85.4

$0.84 ฿27.89

-63.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 PKR 66.5

$0.49 ฿16.16

-51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 PKR 231

$1.89 ฿62.3

-55.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 PKR 170

$1.41 ฿46.54

-56.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 PKR 349

$1.62 ฿53.6

-22.22%

Eggs

$1.22 PKR 339

$2.24 ฿74.1

-45.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.83 PKR 2,447

$19.84 ฿656

-55.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.65 PKR 734

$3.48 ฿115

-23.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.01 PKR 1,112

$11.37 ฿376

-64.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.05 PKR 290

$2.90 ฿95.8

-63.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.67 PKR 184

$1.72 ฿57.0

-61.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.58 PKR 159

$2.27 ฿75.1

-74.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 PKR 132

$2.13 ฿70.4

-77.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 PKR 79.7

$1.47 ฿48.72

-80.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 144

$1.42 ฿46.92

-63.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 PKR 149

$1.10 ฿36.25

-50.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

$0.60 ฿19.76

-33.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.55 PKR 154

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 PKR 145

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 PKR 207

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 PKR 648

$4.31 ฿142

-45.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 PKR 57.2

$2.25 ฿74.2

-90.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.88 PKR 2,737

$23.49 ฿776

-57.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 PKR 293

$3.10 ฿102

-65.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 PKR 307

$1.08 ฿35.56

2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 PKR 797

$3.87 ฿128

-25.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 PKR 316

$1.43 ฿47.16

-20.28%

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

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-15.23%

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

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-12.94%

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

$68.3 PKR 18.9K

$105 ฿3,462

-34.82%

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

$5.66 PKR 1,568

$11.39 ฿376

-50.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.31 PKR 3,965

$17.54 ฿580

-18.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.78 PKR 4,094

$54.3 ฿1,795

-72.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 PKR 1,992

$7.78 ฿257

-7.58%

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

$26.54 PKR 7,352

$576 ฿19.0K

-95.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,037 PKR 564.3K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-82.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.67 PKR 5,172

$63.6 ฿2,103

-70.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.79 PKR 7,422

$29.10 ฿961

-7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.6 PKR 15.1K

$96.2 ฿3,179

-43.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.66 PKR 8,217

$90.0 ฿2,974

-67.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$126 PKR 34.9K

$733 ฿24.2K

-82.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.7 PKR 21.2K

$501 ฿16.5K

-84.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 PKR 69.8K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-88.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 PKR 41.5K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-88.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$907 PKR 251.2K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-74.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$519 PKR 143.7K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-80.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.83

5.57

112.39%

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

Last update for Wah: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $126 in Wah and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11.00 in Wah vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $99.0 vs $275 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 200% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $632 in Wah and $1,898 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: $126 in Wah versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $26.54 in Wah versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 178% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $422 in Wah versus $1,265 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 200% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.