Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saham

For one person, living is cheaper in Saham: $959 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Saham
🇴🇲 Oman
$959
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Saham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $959 in Saham.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • Saham $959

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,439 in Saham.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • Saham $1,439

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,920 in Saham.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • Saham $1,920

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than in Saham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Saham 29% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Saham
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿153
$5.12 OMR 1.97
-10.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,086
$39.33 OMR 15.14
-17.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿286
$7.81 OMR 3.01
9.48%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.0
$5.21 OMR 2.00
-47.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.25
$0.91 OMR 0.35
3.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.39
$0.29 OMR 0.11
68.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.6
$13.19 OMR 5.08
-80.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$12.89 OMR 4.96
-70.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Saham
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$2.33 OMR 0.90
-25.32%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.82
$1.20 OMR 0.46
19.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.0
$1.87 OMR 0.72
-18.18%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$2.92 OMR 1.13
-25.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿640
$7.49 OMR 2.88
155.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿110
$7.00 OMR 2.69
-52.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿372
$10.70 OMR 4.12
4.11%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.5
$3.54 OMR 1.36
-16.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.1
$1.99 OMR 0.77
-15.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿76.8
$2.32 OMR 0.89
-0.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.3
$1.27 OMR 0.49
67.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.1
$1.21 OMR 0.47
26.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.55
$1.23 OMR 0.47
10.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.44
$1.88 OMR 0.72
-40.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.24
$0.66 OMR 0.25
-16.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$6.46 OMR 2.49
-34.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿608
$15.88 OMR 6.11
14.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.2
$6.05 OMR 2.33
-71.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.3
$10.14 OMR 3.91
-72.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Saham
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.1
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿737
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.3
$3.29 OMR 1.27
-11.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.79
$2.61 OMR 1.01
-61.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$7.82 OMR 3.01
-51.02%
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
$25.1K OMR 9,647
6.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿892.7K
$22.6K OMR 8,688
18.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Saham
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,321
$180 OMR 69.3
-44.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿377
$30.60 OMR 11.78
-63.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿580
$70.6 OMR 27.18
-75.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Saham
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,747
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿253
$10.45 OMR 4.02
-27.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Saham
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$282 OMR 109
98.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿383.9K
$10.4K OMR 4,008
10.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Saham
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,102
$56.6 OMR 21.78
11.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿955
$42.91 OMR 16.52
-33.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,213
$89.8 OMR 34.57
7.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,943
$87.0 OMR 33.51
1.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Saham
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.4K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Saham
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
-
-
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 Saham: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
Saham
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Saham
$293 9.5% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
Saham
$281 120% $153
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Saham
$124 0.2% $0.3
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Saham
$223 84.1% $102
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
Saham
$21 * 69% $47
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Saham
$16 * 58% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Saham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇴🇲 Saham
🕒 Local time
15:41 3:41 PM
12:41 12:41 PM
3 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
140,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Saham 4,770 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Saham

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 Saham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Saham cheaper than Phuket?
Saham is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,811 in Phuket and $1,439 in Saham 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $282 in Saham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Saham?
Dining out is cheaper in Saham – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Saham?
At $959 in Saham versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saham but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Saham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Saham more family-friendly?
For families, Saham is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Saham?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Saham are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Saham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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