Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Salalah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Salalah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,086 in Salalah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,648 in Salalah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,209 in Salalah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than Salalah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.35 OMR 2.06

-12.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$26.28 OMR 10.12

72.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$12.82 OMR 4.93

-34.24%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$6.01 OMR 2.32

-51.25%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.64 OMR 0.25

7.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.25 OMR 0.10

48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$9.21 OMR 3.55

-73.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$10.59 OMR 4.08

-64.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.69 OMR 0.65

31.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.28 OMR 0.49

42.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.11 OMR 0.81

2.84%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.95 OMR 0.75

13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.92 OMR 2.66

185.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.57 OMR 1.76

-20.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.90 OMR 3.43

52.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.13 OMR 0.82

53.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.11 OMR 0.43

45.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.61 OMR 0.62

49.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.20 OMR 0.46

73.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.14 OMR 0.44

34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.78 OMR 0.30

89.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.54 OMR 0.21

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.58 OMR 0.22

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$5.75 OMR 2.21

-23.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$19.58 OMR 7.54

-1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.88 OMR 1.49

-54.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$4.65 OMR 1.79

-41.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.31 OMR 0.51

4.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$55.7 OMR 21.44

-79.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.25 OMR 0.87

34.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.27 OMR 0.49

-22.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$11.58 OMR 4.46

21.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.60 OMR 0.23

126.67%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$20.9K OMR 8,064

34.65%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$18.0K OMR 6,917

83.14%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$65.8 OMR 25.32

85.04%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$49.61 OMR 19.10

-72.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$76.6 OMR 29.48

-76.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$93.7 OMR 36.09

-35.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$26.21 OMR 10.09

-34.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.93 OMR 3.05

9.58%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$111 OMR 42.88

522.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$2,377 OMR 915

559.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$27.90 OMR 10.74

113.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$31.60 OMR 12.17

10.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$64.5 OMR 24.82

77.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$43.98 OMR 16.93

89.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$255 OMR 98.1

140.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$215 OMR 82.8

103.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$492 OMR 189

325.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$370 OMR 142

308.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,991 OMR 766

88.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,225 OMR 472

113.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,753 OMR 675

-71.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.58

16.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Salalah: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $255 in Salalah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salalah pays 245% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Salalah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $228 per month, with Salalah 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 Salalah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salalah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Salalah earns 245% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $255 in Salalah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $111 in Salalah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,086 in Salalah versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Salalah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Salalah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Salalah 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Salalah 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 Salalah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.