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 $685 in As Salt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,077 in As Salt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,468 in As Salt.

Living in Phuket is roughly 80% more expensive than in As Salt, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, As Salt 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.89 JOD 3.46

-9.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$21.12 JOD 14.95

52.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.22 JOD 5.11

23.68%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.17 JOD 1.53

33.64%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.38 JOD 0.27

131.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.29 JOD 0.21

65.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$5.58 JOD 3.95

-57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.25 JOD 3.00

-12.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.25 JOD 0.89

49.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.31 JOD 0.22

374.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.52 JOD 1.07

1.97%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.73 JOD 1.23

21.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$4.72 JOD 3.34

315.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.31 JOD 2.34

3.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$12.84 JOD 9.08

-11.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$1.56 JOD 1.11

91.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.45 JOD 1.03

15.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.45 JOD 1.03

52.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$0.77 JOD 0.54

180.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.75 JOD 0.53

102.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.55 JOD 0.39

143.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.47 JOD 0.33

140.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.58 JOD 0.41

-5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.62 JOD 2.56

17.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$14.21 JOD 10.06

34.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$4.12 JOD 2.92

-56.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$4.98 JOD 3.53

-44.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.86 JOD 0.61

159.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$28.76 JOD 20.36

-20.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.57 JOD 0.41

431.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$1.44 JOD 1.02

-29.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$6.89 JOD 4.87

-43.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.36 JOD 0.96

9.56%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$21.0K JOD 14.9K

26.58%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$25.4K JOD 18.0K

6.55%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$34.59 JOD 24.48

196.24%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$11.14 JOD 7.89

1.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$14.23 JOD 10.07

22.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$28.02 JOD 19.83

85.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$35.55 JOD 25.16

-68.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$7.16 JOD 5.07

7.40%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$139 JOD 98.0

304.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$8,573 JOD 6,067

34.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$24.71 JOD 17.48

155.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$49.75 JOD 35.21

-40.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$50.1 JOD 35.44

95.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$28.55 JOD 20.20

209.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$141 JOD 100

422.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$153 JOD 109

214.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$248 JOD 175

751.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$279 JOD 198

338.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$562 JOD 398

-12.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.81

-18.21%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for As Salt: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $141 in As Salt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

As Salt pays 14% 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 $21.00 in As Salt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $195 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 80% 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, salaries run 14% lower in As Salt. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $141 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 $32.00 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 $685 in As Salt – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $685 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 $685 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 80% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.