Cost of Living Comparison Between As-salimiyah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between As-salimiyah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,439 per month in As-salimiyah vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,262 per month in As-salimiyah vs $2,297 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,086 per month in As-salimiyah vs $3,329 in Phuket, rent included.

As-salimiyah costs about 14% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

As-salimiyah sits 7% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.77 KWD 3.00

$4.70 ฿153

107.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.64 KWD 13.38

$45.37 ฿1,482

-3.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 KWD 2.48

$8.43 ฿275

-3.91%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 KWD 0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 KWD 1.12

Cappuccino

$6.00 KWD 1.84

$2.93 ฿95.6

104.78%

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

$0.63 KWD 0.19

$0.69 ฿22.40

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 KWD 0.11

$0.37 ฿11.99

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 KWD 0.46

$2.23 ฿72.9

-33.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$1.83 ฿59.8

-51.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 KWD 0.51

$2.17 ฿70.8

-23.50%

Eggs

$2.11 KWD 0.65

$2.21 ฿72.3

-4.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.76 KWD 1.46

$19.74 ฿645

-75.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 KWD 1.97

$3.63 ฿119

76.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 KWD 3.17

$13.53 ฿442

-23.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 KWD 0.61

$3.28 ฿107

-39.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 KWD 0.50

$1.61 ฿52.6

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 KWD 0.47

$2.41 ฿78.6

-36.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 KWD 0.42

$2.08 ฿68.1

-34.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 KWD 0.37

$1.53 ฿49.93

-20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 KWD 0.27

$1.48 ฿48.36

-41.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 KWD 0.47

$0.99 ฿32.29

53.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 KWD 0.15

$0.51 ฿16.67

-3.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.19 KWD 0.98

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 KWD 0.88

$4.41 ฿144

-35.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 KWD 0.35

$1.37 ฿44.79

-17.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.59 KWD 14.90

$11.39 ฿372

326.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 KWD 0.99

$3.02 ฿98.6

7.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.30 KWD 1.01

$0.99 ฿32.48

233.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.06 KWD 4.93

$14.10 ฿461

13.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.34 KWD 0.10

$1.36 ฿44.51

-75.00%

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

$21.5K KWD 6,609

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-23.60%

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

$19.9K KWD 6,103

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-39.52%

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

$38.97 KWD 11.95

$122 ฿3,975

-67.98%

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

$18.55 KWD 5.69

$13.57 ฿443

36.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.79 KWD 7.91

$18.31 ฿598

40.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.6 KWD 29.32

$60.2 ฿1,967

58.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$64.2 KWD 19.68

$17.14 ฿560

274.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 KWD 2.68

$8.69 ฿284

0.58%

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

$278 KWD 85.4

$693 ฿22.6K

-59.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,686 KWD 2,051

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-57.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.71 KWD 12.79

$59.5 ฿1,944

-29.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.92 KWD 12.86

$34.77 ฿1,136

20.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 KWD 27.12

$115 ฿3,743

-22.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.3 KWD 20.65

$83.3 ฿2,720

-19.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 KWD 289

$613 ฿20.0K

53.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 KWD 224

$437 ฿14.3K

67.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 KWD 566

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-11.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 KWD 422

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-8.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,830 KWD 868

$508 ฿16.6K

456.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

5.33

33.96%

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

Last update for As-salimiyah: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $941 in As-salimiyah versus $613 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 457% higher in As-salimiyah, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in As-salimiyah versus $45.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $293 – making As-salimiyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

As-salimiyah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – As-salimiyah is pricier by about 14%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,159 per month in As-salimiyah and $1,898 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,439 in As-salimiyah and $1,265 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 327% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in As-salimiyah at $1,439. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in As-salimiyah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, As-salimiyah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.