Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,556 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
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Muscat Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,556

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Muscat 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 Muscat and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,556 in Muscat versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Muscat $1,556
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,299 in Muscat versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Muscat $2,299
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,042 in Muscat versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Muscat $3,042
Phuket $2,867

Living in Muscat is roughly 29% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Muscat is 15% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 OMR 2.05

$4.58 ฿153

16.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 OMR 15.06

$32.48 ฿1,086

20.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 OMR 2.99

$8.55 ฿286

-9.24%

Cappuccino

$4.93 OMR 1.90

$2.72 ฿91.0

81.25%

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$0.94 ฿31.25

-9.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.49 ฿16.39

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.87 OMR 4.95

$2.59 ฿86.6

396.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.07 OMR 5.03

$3.83 ฿128

241.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$1.74 ฿58.1

32.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$1.43 ฿47.82

-13.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$1.53 ฿51.0

22.22%

Eggs

$3.02 OMR 1.16

$2.17 ฿72.7

39.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.23 OMR 2.78

$19.15 ฿640

-62.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 OMR 2.66

$3.30 ฿110

109.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.57 OMR 4.07

$11.14 ฿372

-5.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 OMR 1.35

$2.95 ฿98.5

18.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 OMR 0.77

$1.68 ฿56.1

19.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 OMR 0.90

$2.30 ฿76.8

1.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 OMR 0.49

$2.13 ฿71.3

-40.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 OMR 0.44

$1.53 ฿51.1

-24.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$1.36 ฿45.55

-5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 OMR 0.69

$1.12 ฿37.44

59.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 OMR 0.26

$0.55 ฿18.24

23.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 OMR 2.55

$4.26 ฿142

55.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 OMR 6.09

$18.19 ฿608

-12.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.03 OMR 2.32

$1.74 ฿58.2

246.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.33 OMR 3.98

$2.79 ฿93.3

270.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 OMR 0.51

$2.22 ฿74.1

-40.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 OMR 30.00

$22.06 ฿737

253.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 OMR 1.23

$2.91 ฿97.3

9.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

$1.01 ฿33.79

159.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 OMR 3.01

$3.83 ฿128

104.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.49 ฿49.85

-59.73%

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

$25.9K OMR 9,986

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-2.78%

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

$22.4K OMR 8,624

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-16.14%

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

$176 OMR 67.9

$99.4 ฿3,321

77.39%

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

$28.30 OMR 10.90

$11.28 ฿377

150.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 OMR 27.28

$17.36 ฿580

308.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 OMR 24.14

$52.3 ฿1,747

19.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.94 OMR 11.53

$10.85 ฿362

175.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 OMR 4.05

$7.57 ฿253

38.97%

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

$283 OMR 109

$558 ฿18.7K

-49.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K OMR 4,070

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-7.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 OMR 21.79

$62.9 ฿2,102

-9.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.33 OMR 16.68

$28.58 ฿955

51.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 OMR 35.08

$96.1 ฿3,213

-5.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 OMR 33.28

$88.1 ฿2,943

-1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 OMR 260

$729 ฿24.4K

-7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 OMR 177

$460 ฿15.4K

0.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 OMR 510

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-36.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 OMR 313

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-33.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 OMR 1,105

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-17.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,614 OMR 621

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-35.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,650 OMR 635

$493 ฿16.5K

234.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

5.57

-5.75%

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

Last update for Muscat: 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

Muscat

$461 29.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 0.1% $0.6

Groceries & Markets

Muscat

$292 18.8%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 8.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muscat

$275 17.7%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 53.5% $147

Eating Out

Muscat

$220 14.1%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 44.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Muscat

$125 8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 0.7% $0.8

Getting Around

Muscat

$100 6.4%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 60.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Muscat

$84 5.4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 19.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $674 in Muscat and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 235% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $39.00 in Muscat vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Muscat

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

10:14 10:14 AM

3 h ahead of Muscat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,090,797 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Muscat Phuket 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Muscat
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

Muscat vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muscat and Phuket differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,556 vs $1,207 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 235% higher in Muscat, 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: $674 in Muscat versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $39.00 in Muscat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,556 per month in Muscat versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,556 in Muscat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Muscat. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Muscat 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 29% less than in Muscat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.