Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al Muharraq Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al Muharraq

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,077 in Al Muharraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,603 in Al Muharraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,129 in Al Muharraq.

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than in Al Muharraq, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Al Muharraq 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$2.57 BHD 0.97

81.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$26.31 BHD 9.92

22.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.88 BHD 2.22

47.62%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.87 BHD 1.46

-25.06%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.82 BHD 0.31

2.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.32 BHD 0.12

53.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$6.70 BHD 2.52

-62.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$6.78 BHD 2.55

-44.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.31 BHD 0.49

44.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.06 BHD 0.40

33.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.35 BHD 0.88

-31.06%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.23 BHD 0.84

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$3.60 BHD 1.36

451.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.86 BHD 1.83

-28.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$8.68 BHD 3.27

30.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.08 BHD 0.41

168.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.89 BHD 0.71

-8.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.04 BHD 0.39

118.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.45 BHD 0.55

46.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.00 BHD 0.38

47.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.51 BHD 0.19

178.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.50 BHD 0.19

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.51 BHD 0.19

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$5.39 BHD 2.03

-20.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$18.90 BHD 7.12

-1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$3.65 BHD 1.38

-50.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.68 BHD 1.01

10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$5.19 BHD 1.96

-40.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.36 BHD 0.51

-20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$5.32 BHD 2.00

-27.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.51 BHD 0.19

180.39%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$37.2K BHD 14.0K

-25.40%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$20.1K BHD 7,582

34.14%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$154 BHD 58.0

-31.95%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$20.94 BHD 7.89

-45.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$34.50 BHD 13.00

-49.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$10.54 BHD 3.97

-26.19%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$496 BHD 187

16.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$11.0K BHD 4,132

5.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$51.7 BHD 19.47

23.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$57.0 BHD 21.50

-48.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$88.4 BHD 33.33

8.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$90.5 BHD 34.11

-0.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$460 BHD 173

59.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$365 BHD 138

37.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,014 BHD 382

109.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$725 BHD 273

72.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,997 BHD 753

76.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,592 BHD 600

64.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,763 BHD 664

-71.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.21

-10.31%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Al Muharraq: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $460 in Al Muharraq. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Muharraq pays 247% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Al Muharraq for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $205 per month, with Al Muharraq 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

Phuket vs Al Muharraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Al Muharraq differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,077 including rent). Al Muharraq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 247% lower in Al Muharraq. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $460 in Al Muharraq. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $1,077 in Al Muharraq – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,077 in Al Muharraq versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al Muharraq but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Al Muharraq 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, Phuket and Al Muharraq 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 Al Muharraq gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.