Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and As-salimiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,328 in As-salimiyah, rent and utilities included – about $600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in As-salimiyah outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in As-salimiyah
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As-salimiyah Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

As-salimiyah

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,328

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in As-salimiyah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in As-salimiyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,328 in As-salimiyah, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
As-salimiyah $1,328

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,190 in As-salimiyah, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
As-salimiyah $2,190

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,051 in As-salimiyah, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
As-salimiyah $3,051

Phuket is about 4% cheaper than As-salimiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Phuket and As-salimiyah are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, As-salimiyah 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$8.23 KWD 2.54

-45.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$38.19 KWD 11.77

-15.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.10 KWD 2.80

-3.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 KWD 1.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 KWD 0.50

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$4.48 KWD 1.38

-36.83%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.75 KWD 0.23

16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.29 KWD 0.09

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.31 KWD 0.40

26.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.75 KWD 0.23

94.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.97 KWD 0.61

-23.86%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.13 KWD 0.66

-1.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$4.43 KWD 1.36

330.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.31 KWD 1.64

-37.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.46 KWD 2.92

15.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.14 KWD 0.66

36.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.62 KWD 0.50

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.25 KWD 0.39

80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.47 KWD 0.45

41.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.36 KWD 0.42

11.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.82 KWD 0.25

68.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.57 KWD 0.48

-31.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.50 KWD 0.15

4.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.23 KWD 1.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.71 KWD 0.84

54.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.84 KWD 0.26

72.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$48.79 KWD 15.03

16.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.31 KWD 1.02

-8.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$3.31 KWD 1.02

-69.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$15.94 KWD 4.91

-76.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.36 KWD 0.11

308.33%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$23.4K KWD 7,220

14.26%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$20.1K KWD 6,200

32.64%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$32.30 KWD 9.95

198.30%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$21.28 KWD 6.56

-47.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$30.14 KWD 9.29

-44.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$97.8 KWD 30.14

-31.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$64.0 KWD 19.70

-83.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$11.14 KWD 3.43

-32.68%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$275 KWD 84.8

72.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$6,338 KWD 1,953

77.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$36.80 KWD 11.34

69.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$39.01 KWD 12.02

-27.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$89.2 KWD 27.49

5.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$64.7 KWD 19.93

32.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$896 KWD 276

-20.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$642 KWD 198

-23.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,771 KWD 546

8.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,388 KWD 428

3.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$2,815 KWD 867

-82.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.53

-14.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for As-salimiyah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

As-salimiyah

$642 48.4% 30.8% $151

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

As-salimiyah

$156 11.7% 41.4% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

As-salimiyah

$84 6.3% 32.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

As-salimiyah

$103 7.8% 15.2% $19

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

As-salimiyah

$151 11.4% 24.1% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

As-salimiyah

$120 9% 46.1% $38

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

As-salimiyah

$72 5.4% 2% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $896 in As-salimiyah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in As-salimiyah are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $38 in As-salimiyah. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $156 in As-salimiyah – so As-salimiyah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇼 As-salimiyah

🕒 Local time

04:20 4:20 AM

00:20 12:20 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

147,649

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KWD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.343 KWD (1 KWD = 2.92 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket As-salimiyah 5,760 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
As-salimiyah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 As-salimiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – As-salimiyah is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,992 in As-salimiyah. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $896 in As-salimiyah.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,328 in As-salimiyah. That makes Phuket about 4% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 14% less in As-salimiyah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,278 in Phuket and $1,328 in As-salimiyah, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,328 in As-salimiyah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, As-salimiyah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.