Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Salalah

For one person, living is cheaper in Salalah: $1,062 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Salalah
Learn more

Salalah Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Salalah

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,062

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Salalah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,062 in Salalah.

Phuket $1,278
Salalah $1,062

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,598 in Salalah.

Phuket $2,216
Salalah $1,598

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,134 in Salalah.

Phuket $3,154
Salalah $2,134

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than in Salalah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Salalah 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$5.17 OMR 1.99

-13.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$25.56 OMR 9.84

26.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$13.24 OMR 5.10

-33.46%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$6.42 OMR 2.47

-55.92%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$0.85 OMR 0.33

2.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.27 OMR 0.10

81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$8.88 OMR 3.42

-71.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$10.34 OMR 3.98

-64.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.93 OMR 0.74

-13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$1.22 OMR 0.47

19.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.63 OMR 1.01

-42.97%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.89 OMR 0.73

10.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$4.78 OMR 1.84

298.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.56 OMR 1.76

-27.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.35 OMR 2.45

71.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$1.90 OMR 0.73

54.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.79 OMR 0.69

-5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.07 OMR 0.80

8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.87 OMR 0.72

11.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.44 OMR 0.55

4.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$1.06 OMR 0.41

30.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$1.06 OMR 0.41

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$0.48 OMR 0.19

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.88 OMR 2.26

-28.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$19.95 OMR 7.68

-5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$3.84 OMR 1.48

-52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$4.65 OMR 1.79

-38.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$1.32 OMR 0.51

9.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$54.9 OMR 21.13

3.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.32 OMR 0.89

30.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$1.28 OMR 0.49

-20.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$11.54 OMR 4.44

-68.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$0.64 OMR 0.25

129.69%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$20.7K OMR 7,971

29.33%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$17.9K OMR 6,900

48.92%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$79.2 OMR 30.50

21.62%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$49.43 OMR 19.03

-77.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$73.9 OMR 28.45

-77.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$40.35 OMR 15.54

66.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$26.24 OMR 10.10

-59.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.84 OMR 3.02

-4.34%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$105 OMR 40.39

353.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$1,970 OMR 758

471.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$28.71 OMR 11.05

117.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$31.42 OMR 12.10

-9.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$57.6 OMR 22.16

63.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$44.75 OMR 17.23

91.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$247 OMR 95.1

189.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$205 OMR 78.9

139.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$634 OMR 244

203.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$391 OMR 151

265.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$1,980 OMR 762

110.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,228 OMR 473

147.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,778 OMR 684

-71.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.58

21.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Salalah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Salalah

$205 19.3% 58.3% $286

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Salalah

$229 21.5% 14.2% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Salalah

$203 19.1% 62.7% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Salalah

$73 6.9% 40% $49

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Salalah

$228 21.5% 87.1% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Salalah

$56 5.3% 31.9% $26

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Salalah

$69 6.5% 2.4% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $247 in Salalah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salalah pays about 3.5 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $26 in Salalah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $229 per month, with Salalah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇴🇲 Salalah

🕒 Local time

20:10 8:10 PM

17:10 5:10 PM

3 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

178,469

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.33 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.43 OMR (1 OMR = 2.33 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Salalah 4,900 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Salalah

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 Salalah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salalah is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $247 in Salalah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $105 in Salalah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Salalah is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Salalah are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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.