Cost of Living Comparison Between Mussaffah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mussaffah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,793 per month in Mussaffah vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,633 per month in Mussaffah vs $2,297 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,474 per month in Mussaffah vs $3,329 in Phuket, rent included.

Mussaffah costs about 42% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Mussaffah sits 34% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 AED 25.07

$4.70 ฿153

45.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.35 AED 119

$45.37 ฿1,482

-28.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 AED 34.10

$8.43 ฿275

10.08%

Cappuccino

$4.80 AED 17.63

$2.93 ฿95.6

63.82%

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

$0.94 AED 3.46

$0.69 ฿22.40

36.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 AED 1.26

$0.37 ฿11.99

-8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.37 AED 34.41

$2.41 ฿78.6

288.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.73 AED 35.73

$3.72 ฿122

161.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 AED 6.78

$2.23 ฿72.9

-17.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 AED 4.36

$1.83 ฿59.8

-34.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 AED 7.21

$2.17 ฿70.8

-9.68%

Eggs

$2.76 AED 10.15

$2.21 ฿72.3

24.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 AED 38.59

$19.74 ฿645

-46.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 AED 24.65

$3.63 ฿119

84.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.79 AED 32.28

$13.53 ฿442

-35.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 AED 6.77

$3.28 ฿107

-43.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.47

$1.61 ฿52.6

-7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.44

$2.41 ฿78.6

-38.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 AED 4.30

$2.08 ฿68.1

-43.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 AED 3.82

$1.53 ฿49.93

-32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 AED 4.54

$1.48 ฿48.36

-16.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 AED 5.34

$0.99 ฿32.29

46.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 AED 2.33

$0.51 ฿16.67

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 AED 23.07

$4.41 ฿144

42.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 AED 50.7

$19.38 ฿633

-28.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 AED 7.22

$1.78 ฿58.1

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 AED 8.18

$2.71 ฿88.6

-17.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 AED 5.92

$1.37 ฿44.79

17.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 AED 194

$11.39 ฿372

364.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 AED 11.79

$3.02 ฿98.6

6.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 AED 2.03

$0.99 ฿32.48

-44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 AED 18.04

$14.10 ฿461

-65.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 AED 2.72

$1.36 ฿44.51

-45.59%

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

$44.6K AED 163.9K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

58.21%

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

$22.0K AED 80.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-33.03%

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

$142 AED 521

$122 ฿3,975

16.46%

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

$64.3 AED 236

$13.57 ฿443

373.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 AED 381

$18.31 ฿598

466.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.1 AED 232

$60.2 ฿1,967

4.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.13 AED 144

$17.14 ฿560

128.30%

Cinema Ticket

$13.00 AED 47.74

$8.69 ฿284

49.60%

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

$636 AED 2,335

$693 ฿22.6K

-8.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,797 AED 25.0K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-56.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 AED 195

$59.5 ฿1,944

-11.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 AED 207

$34.77 ฿1,136

61.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 AED 341

$115 ฿3,743

-18.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 AED 305

$83.3 ฿2,720

-0.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 AED 2,723

$613 ฿20.0K

20.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 AED 2,800

$437 ฿14.3K

74.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 AED 9,118

$2,094 ฿68.4K

18.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 AED 5,028

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-9.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,673 AED 17.2K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

24.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,956 AED 7,183

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-25.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,877 AED 10.6K

$508 ฿16.6K

466.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.75

5.33

-10.88%

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

Last update for Mussaffah: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $741 in Mussaffah versus $613 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 466% higher in Mussaffah, 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 $32.00 in Mussaffah versus $45.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $293 – making Mussaffah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Mussaffah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mussaffah is pricier by about 42%, 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 $2,689 per month in Mussaffah and $1,898 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.

Kindergarten costs $636 per month in Mussaffah and $693 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 27% cheaper in Mussaffah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Mussaffah at $1,793. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mussaffah 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, Mussaffah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.