Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and As Salt Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and As Salt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $696 in As Salt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,097 in As Salt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,498 in As Salt.

Living in Phuket is roughly 77% more expensive than As Salt, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, As Salt 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.25 JOD 3.02

8.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$21.08 JOD 14.94

122.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.88 JOD 4.88

28.49%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.44 JOD 1.02

108.33%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.33 JOD 0.24

124.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.27 JOD 0.19

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$5.50 JOD 3.90

-55.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.11 JOD 2.91

-12.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.44 JOD 1.02

56.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.36 JOD 0.26

411.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.68 JOD 1.19

33.33%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.72 JOD 1.22

34.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.12 JOD 2.92

377.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.33 JOD 3.07

-15.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.56 JOD 8.19

13.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.42 JOD 1.01

138.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.48 JOD 1.05

10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.39 JOD 0.98

73.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.58 JOD 0.41

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.73 JOD 0.52

113.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.75 JOD 0.53

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.66 JOD 0.47

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.58 JOD 0.41

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.63 JOD 2.58

22.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$13.87 JOD 9.84

36.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$4.82 JOD 3.42

-63.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$5.39 JOD 3.82

-48.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.92 JOD 0.65

52.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$28.20 JOD 19.99

-59.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.62 JOD 0.44

403.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.40 JOD 0.99

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$7.21 JOD 5.11

95.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.32 JOD 0.94

2.27%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.8K JOD 14.8K

30.58%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.5K JOD 18.1K

29.02%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$35.16 JOD 24.93

255.46%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$11.14 JOD 7.90

21.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$14.18 JOD 10.05

30.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$33.16 JOD 23.51

85.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$35.00 JOD 24.81

-51.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$8.99 JOD 6.37

2.22%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$141 JOD 99.6

396.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$5,488 JOD 3,891

184.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$24.66 JOD 17.48

134.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$48.85 JOD 34.63

-27.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$49.07 JOD 34.79

130.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$28.76 JOD 20.39

200.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$144 JOD 102

328.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$158 JOD 112

182.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$242 JOD 172

745.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$277 JOD 197

438.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$560 JOD 397

-6.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.27

-26.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for As Salt: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $144 in As Salt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

As Salt pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in As Salt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $201 per month, with As Salt 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 As Salt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Salt wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making As Salt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, As Salt earns 7% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $144 in As Salt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in As Salt – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $696 in As Salt – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $696 in As Salt versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in As Salt but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes As Salt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but As Salt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $696 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes As Salt hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and As Salt 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 As Salt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.