Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Muscat

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,556 in Muscat, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Muscat
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Muscat Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Muscat

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,556

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Muscat

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 Muscat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,556 in Muscat.

Phuket $1,207
Muscat $1,556

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $2,299 in Muscat.

Phuket $2,037
Muscat $2,299

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $3,042 in Muscat.

Phuket $2,867
Muscat $3,042

Living in Phuket costs roughly 22% less than in Muscat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Muscat is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$5.33 OMR 2.05

-14.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$39.12 OMR 15.06

-16.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$7.76 OMR 2.99

10.18%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$4.93 OMR 1.90

-44.83%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.85 OMR 0.33

10.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.27 OMR 0.10

81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$12.87 OMR 4.95

-79.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$13.07 OMR 5.03

-70.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$2.31 OMR 0.89

-24.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.24 OMR 0.48

15.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.87 OMR 0.72

-18.18%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.02 OMR 1.16

-28.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$7.23 OMR 2.78

164.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$6.91 OMR 2.66

-52.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$10.57 OMR 4.07

5.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.51 OMR 1.35

-15.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$2.01 OMR 0.77

-16.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$2.33 OMR 0.90

-1.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.26 OMR 0.49

69.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.16 OMR 0.44

31.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.28 OMR 0.49

6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.79 OMR 0.69

-37.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.68 OMR 0.26

-19.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.62 OMR 2.55

-35.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$15.83 OMR 6.09

14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$6.03 OMR 2.32

-71.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$10.33 OMR 3.98

-72.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$1.33 OMR 0.51

66.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$77.9 OMR 30.00

-71.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$3.18 OMR 1.23

-8.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$2.62 OMR 1.01

-61.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.83 OMR 3.01

-51.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.60 OMR 0.23

148.33%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$25.9K OMR 9,986

2.86%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$22.4K OMR 8,624

19.25%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$176 OMR 67.9

-43.63%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$28.30 OMR 10.90

-60.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$70.9 OMR 27.28

-75.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$62.7 OMR 24.14

-16.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$29.94 OMR 11.53

-63.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$10.52 OMR 4.05

-28.04%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$283 OMR 109

97.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$10.6K OMR 4,070

8.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$56.6 OMR 21.79

11.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$43.33 OMR 16.68

-34.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$91.1 OMR 35.08

5.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$86.4 OMR 33.28

1.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$674 OMR 260

8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$461 OMR 177

-0.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$1,324 OMR 510

58.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$813 OMR 313

50.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$2,871 OMR 1,105

20.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,614 OMR 621

54.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$1,650 OMR 635

-70.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Muscat: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Muscat

$461 29.6% 0.1% $0.6

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Muscat

$292 18.8% 9.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Muscat

$275 17.7% 115% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Muscat

$125 8% 0.7% $0.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Muscat

$220 14.1% 81.4% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Muscat

$84 5.4% 24.2% $16

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Muscat

$100 6.4% 156% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $674 in Muscat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muscat pays 235% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Muscat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $292 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇴🇲 Muscat

🕒 Local time

16:16 4:16 PM

13:16 1:16 PM

3 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,090,797 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Muscat 4,600 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Muscat

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 Muscat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Muscat differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,207 vs $1,556 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 235% lower in Muscat. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $674 in Muscat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $39.00 in Muscat. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $1,556 in Muscat – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,556 in Muscat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Muscat. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Muscat 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Muscat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.