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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,762 per month in Mussaffah vs $1,250 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,619 per month in Mussaffah vs $2,284 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,477 per month in Mussaffah vs $3,317 in Phuket, rent included.

Mussaffah costs about 41% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Mussaffah sits 32% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.69 AED 24.56

$4.55 ฿153

47.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.56 AED 120

$46.18 ฿1,554

-29.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 AED 34.83

$8.84 ฿298

7.24%

Cappuccino

$4.96 AED 18.21

$3.06 ฿103

62.09%

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

$0.97 AED 3.55

$0.73 ฿24.42

32.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 AED 1.26

$0.40 ฿13.40

-15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.25 AED 33.99

$2.43 ฿81.8

280.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.49 AED 34.85

$3.78 ฿127

151.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 AED 6.61

$2.26 ฿76.0

-20.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 AED 4.20

$1.81 ฿60.9

-37.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 AED 7.25

$2.25 ฿75.8

-12.44%

Eggs

$2.78 AED 10.20

$2.25 ฿75.6

23.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 AED 37.38

$19.51 ฿656

-47.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.07 AED 25.98

$3.65 ฿123

93.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.75 AED 32.15

$13.05 ฿439

-32.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 AED 7.01

$3.23 ฿109

-40.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 AED 5.69

$1.62 ฿54.4

-4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 AED 5.46

$2.38 ฿80.2

-37.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 AED 4.36

$2.03 ฿68.2

-41.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 AED 3.79

$1.53 ฿51.6

-32.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 AED 4.32

$1.50 ฿50.5

-21.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 AED 5.48

$0.98 ฿32.93

52.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 AED 2.14

$0.52 ฿17.40

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 AED 22.75

$4.44 ฿149

39.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.43 AED 49.31

$18.32 ฿616

-26.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 AED 6.96

$1.86 ฿62.7

2.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 AED 8.28

$2.68 ฿90.2

-16.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 AED 5.92

$1.41 ฿47.49

14.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.2 AED 192

$11.70 ฿394

345.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 AED 11.87

$3.11 ฿105

3.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 AED 1.90

$1.04 ฿35.08

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 AED 17.83

$14.11 ฿475

-65.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 AED 2.91

$1.31 ฿44.13

-39.69%

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

$45.4K AED 166.7K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

63.14%

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

$22.5K AED 82.7K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-32.18%

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

$142 AED 523

$122 ฿4,120

16.27%

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

$66.6 AED 245

$13.59 ฿457

390.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$100 AED 369

$18.70 ฿629

436.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.1 AED 239

$60.5 ฿2,035

7.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.05 AED 143

$16.98 ฿572

129.98%

Cinema Ticket

$12.91 AED 47.42

$9.07 ฿305

42.34%

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

$645 AED 2,367

$706 ฿23.8K

-8.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,919 AED 25.4K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-56.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 AED 195

$58.6 ฿1,970

-9.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 AED 211

$35.36 ฿1,190

62.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 AED 333

$115 ฿3,885

-21.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 AED 294

$83.7 ฿2,818

-4.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 AED 2,792

$626 ฿21.1K

21.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 AED 2,771

$445 ฿15.0K

69.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 AED 9,205

$2,040 ฿68.7K

22.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,364 AED 5,008

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-8.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,854 AED 17.8K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

39.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,334 AED 8,571

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-9.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,968 AED 10.9K

$500 ฿16.8K

493.84%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $760 in Mussaffah versus $626 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 494% 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 $33.00 in Mussaffah versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $289 – 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 41%, 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 $2,643 per month in Mussaffah and $1,875 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 $645 per month in Mussaffah and $706 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% 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 $1,250, than in Mussaffah at $1,762. 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.