Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,102 in Doha, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Doha
Learn more

Doha Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Doha

🇶🇦 Qatar

$2,102

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Doha and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Doha and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,102 per month in Doha vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Doha $2,102
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $3,272 per month in Doha vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Doha $3,272
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $4,443 per month in Doha vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Doha $4,443
Phuket $2,867

Doha costs about 74% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Doha sits 56% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.64 QAR 35.11

$4.58 ฿153

110.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 QAR 253

$32.48 ฿1,086

113.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 QAR 29.43

$8.55 ฿286

-5.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.38 QAR 45.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.39 QAR 48.74

Cappuccino

$5.93 QAR 21.60

$2.72 ฿91.0

118.01%

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

$0.88 QAR 3.19

$0.94 ฿31.25

-6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 QAR 1.59

$0.49 ฿16.39

-10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 QAR 7.70

$1.74 ฿58.1

21.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 QAR 5.14

$1.43 ฿47.82

-1.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 QAR 6.75

$1.53 ฿51.0

20.92%

Eggs

$3.41 QAR 12.42

$2.17 ฿72.7

57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 QAR 41.29

$19.15 ฿640

-40.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 QAR 28.73

$3.30 ฿110

139.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.36 QAR 41.35

$11.14 ฿372

1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 QAR 7.93

$2.95 ฿98.5

-26.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 QAR 6.73

$1.68 ฿56.1

10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 QAR 5.75

$2.30 ฿76.8

-31.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 QAR 4.53

$2.13 ฿71.3

-41.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 QAR 3.61

$1.53 ฿51.1

-35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 QAR 3.39

$1.36 ฿45.55

-31.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 QAR 5.23

$1.12 ฿37.44

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 QAR 1.99

$0.55 ฿18.24

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.60 QAR 34.95

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 QAR 6.98

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 QAR 8.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 QAR 23.90

$4.26 ฿142

53.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 QAR 1.94

$2.22 ฿74.1

-76.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.37 QAR 99.6

$22.06 ฿737

24.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 QAR 6.90

$2.91 ฿97.3

-35.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 QAR 7.64

$1.01 ฿33.79

107.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.52 QAR 49.20

$3.83 ฿128

253.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 QAR 1.99

$1.49 ฿49.85

-63.09%

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

$28.2K QAR 102.8K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

5.88%

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

$22.5K QAR 82.0K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-15.69%

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

$86.1 QAR 314

$99.4 ฿3,321

-13.32%

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

$34.37 QAR 125

$11.28 ฿377

204.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.4 QAR 311

$17.36 ฿580

392.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 QAR 453

$52.3 ฿1,747

137.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 QAR 67.2

$10.85 ฿362

70.05%

Cinema Ticket

$12.19 QAR 44.36

$7.57 ฿253

61.03%

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

$672 QAR 2,447

$558 ฿18.7K

20.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,561 QAR 34.8K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-16.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 QAR 216

$62.9 ฿2,102

-5.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 QAR 192

$28.58 ฿955

84.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 QAR 362

$96.1 ฿3,213

3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 QAR 309

$88.1 ฿2,943

-3.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 QAR 6,845

$729 ฿24.4K

157.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 QAR 4,288

$460 ฿15.4K

156.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 QAR 12.8K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

68.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 QAR 8,250

$1,222 ฿40.8K

85.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,083 QAR 14.9K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

18.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,377 QAR 8,654

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-4.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,299 QAR 12.0K

$493 ฿16.5K

569.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.57

6.28%

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

Last update for Doha: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Doha

$1.2K 56.1%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 61% $718

Groceries & Markets

Doha

$216 10.3%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 24.1% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Doha

$206 9.8%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 37.8% $78

Eating Out

Doha

$178 8.5%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 31.8% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Doha

$149 7.1%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 54.7% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Doha

$134 6.4%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 7.1% $9.5

Getting Around

Doha

$42 2%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 7.2% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,881 in Doha versus $729 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 569% higher in Doha, 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 $69.0 in Doha versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $216 in Doha vs $268 in Phuket – so Doha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇶🇦 Doha

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

10:24 10:24 AM

4 h ahead of Doha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,312,947 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Qatari Riyal QAR ر.ق

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 QAR = 0.275 USD

1 QAR = 0.244 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to QAR – Qatari Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇶🇦 Qatari Riyal (ر.ق)

Qatari Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.64 QAR (1 QAR = 0.275 USD). 1 EUR = 4.09 QAR (1 QAR = 0.244 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to QAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Doha Phuket 5,320 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Doha
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Doha vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Doha is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,152 per month in Doha and $1,811 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.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $672 per month in Doha and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Doha at $2,102. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Doha 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, Doha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.