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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,076 in Bel Ombre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,726 in Bel Ombre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,376 in Bel Ombre.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Bel Ombre, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bel Ombre 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.75 MUR 317

-32.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$44.07 MUR 2,070

4.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.22 MUR 339

22.44%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.64 MUR 124

15.91%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.03 MUR 48.38

-29.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.56 MUR 26.54

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.21 MUR 104

9.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.22 MUR 151

17.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.67 MUR 78.6

35.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.69 MUR 32.62

162.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.32 MUR 62.0

70.45%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.22 MUR 104

1.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$11.69 MUR 549

66.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.28 MUR 295

-41.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$12.59 MUR 592

3.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.98 MUR 93.1

63.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.02 MUR 94.8

-19.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.44 MUR 67.5

65.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.73 MUR 128

-25.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.98 MUR 46.25

56.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.95 MUR 44.51

57.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.85 MUR 40.14

15.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.75 MUR 35.23

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.53 MUR 307

-32.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.49 MUR 399

115.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.73 MUR 81.5

7.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.21 MUR 104

21.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.04 MUR 48.71

35.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$4.52 MUR 212

-31.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.71 MUR 127

-61.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$20.06 MUR 942

-29.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.42 MUR 66.5

-7.75%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$36.4K MUR 1.7M

-23.65%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$28.8K MUR 1.4M

15.29%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$50.3 MUR 2,362

143.52%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$18.45 MUR 866

-26.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$34.16 MUR 1,605

-45.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$38.16 MUR 1,792

58.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.13 MUR 288

47.96%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$156 MUR 7,313

353.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,892 MUR 182.8K

306.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$86.6 MUR 4,067

-32.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$81.2 MUR 3,812

-56.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$134 MUR 6,278

-13.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$93.3 MUR 4,381

-10.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$520 MUR 24.4K

20.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$350 MUR 16.5K

27.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$935 MUR 43.9K

118.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$735 MUR 34.5K

102.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bel Ombre: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $520 in Bel Ombre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Bel Ombre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $231 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 16% 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 $1,875 in Phuket and $1,614 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: $626 in Phuket versus $520 in Bel Ombre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $156 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Bel Ombre versus $1,250 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 $1,076 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.