Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,146 per month in Doha vs $1,253 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,347 per month in Doha vs $2,043 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,548 per month in Doha vs $2,833 in Phuket, rent included.

Doha costs about 71% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Doha sits 56% above the global median, while Phuket is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.74 QAR 39.11

$4.56 ฿151

135.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 QAR 267

$32.62 ฿1,082

124.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 QAR 30.62

$8.90 ฿295

-5.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.13 QAR 44.16

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.59 QAR 49.46

Cappuccino

$5.88 QAR 21.41

$2.80 ฿93.0

110.00%

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

$0.92 QAR 3.35

$0.88 ฿29.19

4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 QAR 1.62

$0.49 ฿16.23

-10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿79.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 QAR 7.89

$1.79 ฿59.3

21.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 QAR 5.23

$1.44 ฿47.81

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 QAR 7.03

$1.58 ฿52.6

22.15%

Eggs

$3.58 QAR 13.04

$2.13 ฿70.5

68.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.43 QAR 41.61

$19.92 ฿661

-42.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 QAR 28.85

$3.43 ฿114

131.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 QAR 40.69

$11.33 ฿376

-1.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 QAR 7.84

$2.95 ฿97.8

-27.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 QAR 6.54

$1.72 ฿57.1

4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 QAR 5.67

$2.32 ฿77.1

-32.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 QAR 4.41

$2.08 ฿69.0

-41.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 QAR 3.62

$1.47 ฿48.77

-31.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 QAR 3.76

$1.36 ฿45.05

-24.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 QAR 5.18

$1.10 ฿36.45

29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 QAR 1.97

$0.57 ฿19.06

-5.26%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.35 QAR 34.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 QAR 6.98

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 QAR 8.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 QAR 23.70

$4.27 ฿142

52.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿611

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿62.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 QAR 2.08

$2.22 ฿73.6

-74.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.90 QAR 97.9

$22.90 ฿759

17.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 QAR 7.07

$3.03 ฿101

-35.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 QAR 7.26

$1.07 ฿35.63

85.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.82 QAR 50.3

$3.93 ฿130

251.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 QAR 1.96

$1.49 ฿49.49

-63.76%

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

$27.3K QAR 99.3K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

0.53%

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

$22.2K QAR 80.9K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-19.08%

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

$89.0 QAR 324

$103 ฿3,410

-13.44%

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

$35.75 QAR 130

$10.99 ฿365

225.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.7 QAR 316

$17.51 ฿581

395.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$129 QAR 470

$53.5 ฿1,776

141.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.63 QAR 67.8

$11.20 ฿371

66.34%

Cinema Ticket

$12.52 QAR 45.57

$7.48 ฿248

67.38%

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

$691 QAR 2,515

$557 ฿18.5K

24.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,960 QAR 36.3K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-15.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 QAR 224

$64.1 ฿2,125

-4.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 QAR 190

$29.07 ฿964

79.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 QAR 385

$96.0 ฿3,183

10.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 QAR 322

$90.3 ฿2,997

-2.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 QAR 7,194

$730 ฿24.2K

170.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 QAR 4,339

$500 ฿16.6K

138.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 QAR 12.8K

$2,090 ฿69.3K

67.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,325 QAR 8,461

$1,209 ฿40.1K

92.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,104 QAR 14.9K

$3,596 ฿119.3K

14.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,415 QAR 8,790

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-3.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,183 QAR 11.6K

$503 ฿16.7K

532.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

5.57

5.57%

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

Last update for Doha: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,976 in Doha versus $730 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 532% 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 $73.0 in Doha versus $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $217 in Doha vs $273 in Phuket – so Doha wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 71%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,218 per month in Doha and $1,880 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 17% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $691 per month in Doha and $557 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 $1,253, than in Doha at $2,146. 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.