Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bel Ombre Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bel Ombre

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,042 in Bel Ombre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,701 in Bel Ombre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,360 in Bel Ombre.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than Bel Ombre, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bel Ombre 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$6.70 MUR 317

-29.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$44.13 MUR 2,085

2.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$7.01 MUR 331

20.26%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.53 MUR 120

15.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.97 MUR 45.88

-28.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.61 MUR 28.61

-39.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.14 MUR 101

12.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.34 MUR 158

11.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.63 MUR 76.9

36.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.71 MUR 33.56

157.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.28 MUR 60.7

69.53%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.35 MUR 111

-5.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.02 MUR 568

64.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.24 MUR 295

-41.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.74 MUR 602

6.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.06 MUR 97.3

59.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.03 MUR 95.9

-20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.45 MUR 68.4

66.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.66 MUR 126

-21.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.99 MUR 46.62

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.95 MUR 45.10

55.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.78 MUR 37.03

26.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.77 MUR 36.37

-33.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.40 MUR 303

-31.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.38 MUR 396

131.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.74 MUR 82.2

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.14 MUR 101

26.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.00 MUR 47.48

37.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$4.30 MUR 203

-29.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$2.60 MUR 123

-61.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$19.59 MUR 926

-28.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.41 MUR 66.8

-3.55%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$36.0K MUR 1.7M

-21.73%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

13.02%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$48.91 MUR 2,311

148.82%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$18.01 MUR 851

-24.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$33.61 MUR 1,588

-45.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$37.78 MUR 1,785

59.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.99 MUR 283

45.08%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$153 MUR 7,236

352.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,011 MUR 189.5K

291.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$83.7 MUR 3,957

-28.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$80.3 MUR 3,796

-56.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$133 MUR 6,270

-13.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$93.4 MUR 4,411

-10.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$505 MUR 23.8K

21.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$351 MUR 16.6K

24.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$943 MUR 44.6K

122.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$729 MUR 34.4K

107.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bel Ombre: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $505 in Bel Ombre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Bel Ombre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $232 per month, with Bel Ombre 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 Bel Ombre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bel Ombre wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bel Ombre the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,563 in Bel Ombre to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $505 in Bel Ombre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $153 in Bel Ombre. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bel Ombre – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,042 in Bel Ombre versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bel Ombre but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bel Ombre the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bel Ombre delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,042 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bel Ombre hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bel Ombre 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 Bel Ombre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.