Cost of Living Comparison Between As Salt and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between As Salt and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $685 in As Salt versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,077 in As Salt versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,468 in As Salt versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in As Salt costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: As Salt 50% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 JOD 3.46

$4.41 ฿147

10.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.12 JOD 14.95

$32.26 ฿1,073

-34.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.22 JOD 5.11

$8.93 ฿297

-19.15%

Cappuccino

$2.17 JOD 1.53

$2.90 ฿96.3

-25.17%

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

$0.38 JOD 0.27

$0.88 ฿29.27

-56.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 JOD 0.21

$0.48 ฿16.00

-39.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.58 JOD 3.95

$2.35 ฿78.2

137.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 JOD 3.00

$3.72 ฿124

14.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 JOD 0.89

$1.87 ฿62.0

-33.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.31 JOD 0.22

$1.47 ฿48.75

-78.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 JOD 1.07

$1.55 ฿51.6

-1.94%

Eggs

$1.73 JOD 1.23

$2.10 ฿69.9

-17.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.72 JOD 3.34

$19.59 ฿651

-75.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 JOD 2.34

$3.42 ฿114

-3.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.84 JOD 9.08

$11.38 ฿378

12.83%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 JOD 1.11

$2.98 ฿99.2

-47.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 JOD 1.03

$1.68 ฿56.0

-13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 JOD 1.03

$2.21 ฿73.5

-34.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 JOD 0.54

$2.16 ฿71.9

-64.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 JOD 0.53

$1.52 ฿50.7

-50.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 JOD 0.39

$1.34 ฿44.49

-58.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 JOD 0.33

$1.13 ฿37.53

-58.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 JOD 0.41

$0.55 ฿18.17

5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.62 JOD 2.56

$4.26 ฿142

-15.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 JOD 10.06

$19.09 ฿635

-25.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.12 JOD 2.92

$1.78 ฿59.2

131.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 JOD 3.53

$2.78 ฿92.5

79.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 JOD 0.61

$2.23 ฿74.1

-61.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.76 JOD 20.36

$22.74 ฿756

26.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 JOD 0.41

$3.03 ฿101

-81.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 JOD 1.02

$1.02 ฿34.02

41.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.89 JOD 4.87

$3.89 ฿129

77.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 JOD 0.96

$1.49 ฿49.57

-8.72%

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

$21.0K JOD 14.9K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

-21.00%

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

$25.4K JOD 18.0K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

-6.14%

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

$34.59 JOD 24.48

$102 ฿3,407

-66.24%

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

$11.14 JOD 7.89

$11.33 ฿377

-1.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.23 JOD 10.07

$17.40 ฿578

-18.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.02 JOD 19.83

$52.1 ฿1,732

-46.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.55 JOD 25.16

$11.07 ฿368

221.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 JOD 5.07

$7.69 ฿256

-6.89%

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

$139 JOD 98.0

$561 ฿18.6K

-75.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,573 JOD 6,067

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-25.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.71 JOD 17.48

$63.0 ฿2,096

-60.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.75 JOD 35.21

$29.52 ฿982

68.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.1 JOD 35.44

$98.0 ฿3,259

-48.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.55 JOD 20.20

$88.5 ฿2,943

-67.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$141 JOD 100

$738 ฿24.5K

-80.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 JOD 109

$482 ฿16.0K

-68.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 JOD 175

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-88.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 JOD 198

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-77.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 JOD 398

$494 ฿16.4K

13.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

5.57

22.26%

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

Last update for As Salt: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $141 in As Salt and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

As Salt pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in As Salt vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $274 per month, with As Salt 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

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

As Salt wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making As Salt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% higher in As Salt, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $141 in As Salt versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in As Salt – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $685 per month in As Salt versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $685 in As Salt versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in As Salt but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes As Salt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but As Salt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $685 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes As Salt hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, As Salt 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 As Salt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.