Cost of Living Comparison Between Janub-as-surrah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Janub-as-surrah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,355 in Janub-as-surrah versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,250 in Janub-as-surrah versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,146 in Janub-as-surrah versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Janub-as-surrah is roughly 7% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Janub-as-surrah is 2% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.80 KWD 2.40

$4.48 ฿150

74.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.9 KWD 18.11

$45.59 ฿1,521

29.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.39 KWD 2.58

$8.76 ฿292

-4.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 KWD 0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 KWD 1.08

Cappuccino

$5.50 KWD 1.69

$2.97 ฿99.0

85.19%

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

$0.63 KWD 0.20

$0.69 ฿22.90

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 KWD 0.10

$0.39 ฿13.04

-12.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

$2.15 ฿71.6

-33.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

$1.82 ฿60.6

-42.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 KWD 0.53

$2.18 ฿72.9

-21.56%

Eggs

$1.96 KWD 0.60

$2.25 ฿75.0

-12.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.56 KWD 1.40

$20.00 ฿667

-77.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 KWD 2.01

$3.63 ฿121

79.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.95 KWD 3.06

$13.56 ฿452

-26.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 KWD 0.71

$3.24 ฿108

-28.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 KWD 0.52

$1.64 ฿54.6

2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 KWD 0.48

$2.33 ฿77.8

-32.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

$2.07 ฿69.1

-32.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 KWD 0.38

$1.55 ฿51.6

-20.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 KWD 0.35

$1.46 ฿48.54

-22.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 KWD 0.51

$0.98 ฿32.86

70.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KWD 0.14

$0.48 ฿16.09

-4.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.69 KWD 1.13

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 KWD 0.92

$4.35 ฿145

-31.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$1.42 ฿47.28

-38.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.22 KWD 13.60

$11.57 ฿386

282.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 KWD 0.98

$3.17 ฿106

0.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 KWD 0.99

$1.03 ฿34.41

211.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.47 KWD 5.07

$13.89 ฿463

18.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$1.34 ฿44.84

-73.13%

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

$20.7K KWD 6,379

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-25.38%

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

$18.9K KWD 5,800

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-43.51%

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

$61.4 KWD 18.88

$123 ฿4,105

-50.11%

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

$18.27 KWD 5.62

$13.77 ฿459

32.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.12 KWD 8.03

$18.33 ฿611

42.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.4 KWD 29.04

$60.7 ฿2,025

55.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.74 KWD 14.07

$17.16 ฿573

166.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.54 KWD 3.55

$8.87 ฿296

30.10%

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

$278 KWD 85.4

$688 ฿22.9K

-59.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,190 KWD 1,904

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-60.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.97 KWD 13.22

$59.3 ฿1,978

-27.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.65 KWD 13.12

$34.69 ฿1,157

22.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 KWD 26.54

$115 ฿3,843

-25.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 KWD 25.56

$83.8 ฿2,794

-0.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$791 KWD 243

$621 ฿20.7K

27.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 KWD 191

$446 ฿14.9K

39.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 KWD 491

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-21.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 KWD 402

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-12.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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 Janub-as-surrah: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $791 in Janub-as-surrah and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59.0 in Janub-as-surrah vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $169 vs $291, with Janub-as-surrah cheaper for home cooking.

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

Janub-as-surrah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Janub-as-surrah. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,032 in Janub-as-surrah and $1,896 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: $791 in Janub-as-surrah versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,355 per month in Janub-as-surrah versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 282% less than in Janub-as-surrah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,355 in Janub-as-surrah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Janub-as-surrah. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Janub-as-surrah 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Janub-as-surrah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.