Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mussaffah

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,881 in Mussaffah, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Mussaffah
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Mussaffah Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Mussaffah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,881

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mussaffah

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,881 in Mussaffah, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Mussaffah $1,881

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,357 in Mussaffah, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Mussaffah $3,357

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $4,833 in Mussaffah, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Mussaffah $4,833

Phuket is about 32% cheaper than Mussaffah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Mussaffah is 38% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$6.89 AED 25.32

-35.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$32.36 AED 119

0.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.61 AED 35.30

-8.32%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.82 AED 17.70

-41.29%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.74 AED 2.71

17.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.29 AED 1.06

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$9.70 AED 35.64

-73.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$9.44 AED 34.69

-61.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.77 AED 6.49

-6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.15 AED 4.24

26.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.94 AED 7.11

-22.68%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.21 AED 11.79

-34.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.53 AED 31.33

123.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.55 AED 24.05

-49.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$10.27 AED 37.73

6.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.27 AED 8.33

29.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.73 AED 6.37

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.32 AED 4.85

70.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.29 AED 4.73

61.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.04 AED 3.81

45.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.10 AED 4.05

25.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.48 AED 5.42

-27.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.58 AED 2.14

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.28 AED 23.06

-33.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$13.77 AED 50.6

36.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.52 AED 9.26

-27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.47 AED 9.06

14.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$2.17 AED 7.96

-33.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$33.63 AED 124

68.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.26 AED 11.96

-7.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.56 AED 2.05

82.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$8.39 AED 30.81

-56.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.94 AED 3.47

56.38%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$25.5K AED 93.5K

5.13%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$21.3K AED 78.2K

25.28%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$189 AED 695

-49.07%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$58.4 AED 214

-80.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$93.6 AED 344

-81.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$56.7 AED 208

18.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$28.09 AED 103

-61.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$13.85 AED 50.9

-45.85%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$685 AED 2,516

-30.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$8,383 AED 30.8K

34.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$58.8 AED 216

6.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$48.13 AED 177

-40.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$109 AED 399

-13.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$96.3 AED 354

-10.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$805 AED 2,958

-11.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$818 AED 3,004

-39.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,818 AED 6,678

5.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,720 AED 9,988

-47.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$4,854 AED 17.8K

-13.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$2,376 AED 8,727

28.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$2,910 AED 10.7K

-82.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.55

22.42%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mussaffah: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Mussaffah

$818 43.5% 66.7% $327

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Mussaffah

$236 12.5% 11.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Mussaffah

$341 18.1% 174% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mussaffah

$140 7.5% 15.1% $18

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mussaffah

$213 11.3% 75.3% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Mussaffah

$84 4.5% 2.6% $2.1

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Mussaffah

$48 2.6% 31.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $805 in Mussaffah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mussaffah are about 5.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $32 in Mussaffah. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $236 in Mussaffah – so Mussaffah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇪 Mussaffah

🕒 Local time

18:40 6:40 PM

15:40 3:40 PM

3 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

243,341

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.1 AED (1 AED = 0.244 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Mussaffah 5,010 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mussaffah

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 Mussaffah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mussaffah is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,822 in Mussaffah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $805 in Mussaffah.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,881 in Mussaffah. That makes Phuket about 32% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $685 in Mussaffah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Mussaffah at $1,881. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mussaffah it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mussaffah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.