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: $1,525 in Muscat versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,272 in Muscat versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,019 in Muscat versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Muscat is roughly 22% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Muscat is 11% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 OMR 2.06

$4.56 ฿150

17.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.00 OMR 13.09

$32.62 ฿1,073

4.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 OMR 2.98

$8.90 ฿293

-13.03%

Cappuccino

$4.73 OMR 1.82

$2.80 ฿92.2

68.93%

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

$0.86 OMR 0.33

$0.88 ฿28.94

-2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 OMR 0.11

$0.49 ฿16.08

-40.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.07 OMR 5.03

$2.39 ฿78.5

446.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.79 OMR 4.92

$3.71 ฿122

244.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 OMR 0.87

$1.79 ฿58.8

25.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 OMR 0.48

$1.44 ฿47.40

-13.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 OMR 0.73

$1.58 ฿52.1

20.25%

Eggs

$2.94 OMR 1.13

$2.13 ฿69.9

38.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 OMR 2.94

$19.92 ฿655

-61.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.57 OMR 2.53

$3.43 ฿113

91.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.54 OMR 4.06

$11.33 ฿372

-6.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 OMR 1.31

$2.95 ฿97.0

15.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 OMR 0.77

$1.72 ฿56.6

16.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 OMR 0.89

$2.32 ฿76.5

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 OMR 0.46

$2.08 ฿68.4

-42.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 OMR 0.47

$1.47 ฿48.34

-17.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 OMR 0.50

$1.36 ฿44.65

-5.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 OMR 0.69

$1.10 ฿36.13

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 OMR 0.26

$0.57 ฿18.89

17.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 OMR 2.43

$4.27 ฿140

47.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.43 OMR 5.94

$18.42 ฿606

-16.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.68 OMR 2.19

$1.87 ฿61.5

203.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 OMR 3.36

$2.92 ฿96.1

198.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 OMR 0.49

$2.22 ฿73.0

-41.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.7 OMR 29.52

$22.90 ฿753

234.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 OMR 1.24

$3.03 ฿99.6

5.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 OMR 1.00

$1.07 ฿35.32

142.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 OMR 3.01

$3.93 ฿129

98.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 OMR 0.23

$1.49 ฿49.06

-59.06%

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

$25.1K OMR 9,665

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-7.46%

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

$22.2K OMR 8,564

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-18.97%

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

$170 OMR 65.5

$103 ฿3,380

65.36%

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

$30.94 OMR 11.91

$10.99 ฿361

181.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 OMR 26.92

$17.51 ฿576

299.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 OMR 24.14

$53.5 ฿1,760

17.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.20 OMR 11.24

$11.20 ฿368

160.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 OMR 3.98

$7.48 ฿246

38.24%

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

$289 OMR 111

$557 ฿18.3K

-48.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K OMR 4,110

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-9.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 OMR 21.42

$64.1 ฿2,107

-13.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 OMR 16.63

$29.07 ฿956

48.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 OMR 35.43

$96.0 ฿3,155

-4.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.0 OMR 36.95

$90.3 ฿2,970

6.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 OMR 259

$730 ฿24.0K

-7.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 OMR 175

$500 ฿16.4K

-9.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 OMR 526

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-34.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 OMR 330

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-29.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,835 OMR 1,092

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-21.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,595 OMR 614

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-36.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,660 OMR 639

$503 ฿16.6K

229.84%

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: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Muscat and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 230% 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: $34.00 in Muscat vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $273 per month, with Phuket 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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,525 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 230% 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: $673 in Muscat versus $730 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 $33.00 versus $34.00 in Muscat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,525 per month in Muscat versus $1,253 in Phuket – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,525 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 22% less than in Muscat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.