Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Muscat and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Muscat versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,982 in Muscat versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,633 in Muscat versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Muscat is roughly 5% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Muscat 1% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 OMR 2.04

$4.70 ฿153

12.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.39 OMR 10.16

$45.37 ฿1,482

-41.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 OMR 3.02

$8.43 ฿275

-7.00%

Cappuccino

$4.95 OMR 1.90

$2.93 ฿95.6

68.94%

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

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$0.69 ฿22.40

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 OMR 0.13

$0.37 ฿11.99

-8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.16 OMR 4.68

$2.41 ฿78.6

404.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.87 OMR 4.57

$3.72 ฿122

219.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 OMR 0.77

$2.23 ฿72.9

-10.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$1.83 ฿59.8

-34.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 OMR 0.65

$2.17 ฿70.8

-21.66%

Eggs

$2.45 OMR 0.94

$2.21 ฿72.3

10.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.84 OMR 1.48

$19.74 ฿645

-80.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.16 OMR 1.98

$3.63 ฿119

42.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 OMR 3.26

$13.53 ฿442

-37.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 OMR 0.98

$3.28 ฿107

-22.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 OMR 0.66

$1.61 ฿52.6

6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 OMR 0.68

$2.41 ฿78.6

-26.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 OMR 0.44

$2.08 ฿68.1

-45.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 OMR 0.38

$1.53 ฿49.93

-34.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.48 ฿48.36

-31.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 OMR 0.40

$0.99 ฿32.29

4.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 OMR 0.22

$0.51 ฿16.67

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 OMR 2.39

$4.41 ฿144

41.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.55 OMR 5.99

$19.38 ฿633

-19.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.25 OMR 1.64

$1.78 ฿58.1

138.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 OMR 3.04

$2.71 ฿88.6

191.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$1.37 ฿44.79

-7.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 OMR 23.99

$11.39 ฿372

446.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 OMR 1.22

$3.02 ฿98.6

4.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$0.99 ฿32.48

-19.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.34 OMR 3.98

$14.10 ฿461

-26.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.36 ฿44.51

-55.88%

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

$22.8K OMR 8,778

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-19.16%

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

$21.8K OMR 8,405

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-33.64%

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

$107 OMR 41.32

$122 ฿3,975

-11.81%

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

$40.60 OMR 15.63

$13.57 ฿443

199.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 OMR 27.13

$18.31 ฿598

284.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.24 OMR 18.19

$60.2 ฿1,967

-21.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.99 OMR 8.85

$17.14 ฿560

34.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 OMR 4.03

$8.69 ฿284

20.48%

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

$192 OMR 74.1

$693 ฿22.6K

-72.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,757 OMR 3,756

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-37.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 OMR 19.53

$59.5 ฿1,944

-14.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 OMR 15.21

$34.77 ฿1,136

13.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 OMR 30.56

$115 ฿3,743

-30.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 OMR 34.66

$83.3 ฿2,720

8.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 OMR 238

$613 ฿20.0K

0.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$410 OMR 158

$437 ฿14.3K

-6.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 OMR 470

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-41.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 OMR 281

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-51.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,666 OMR 1,026

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-28.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 OMR 597

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-40.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,654 OMR 637

$508 ฿16.6K

225.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

5.33

-3.38%

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

Last update for Muscat: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Muscat and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 225% 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: $26.00 in Muscat vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $293 per month, with Muscat 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

Muscat vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muscat and Phuket differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,331 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Muscat pays 225% more on average, 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: $619 in Muscat versus $613 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 $45.00 versus $26.00 in Muscat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,331 per month in Muscat versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,331 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 5% less than in Muscat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.