Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Salmiya Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Salmiya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,621 in Salmiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $2,442 in Salmiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $3,264 in Salmiya.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 23% less than in Salmiya, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 9% below, Salmiya is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$9.51 KWD 2.93

-52.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$48.29 KWD 14.90

-32.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$8.34 KWD 2.57

6.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 KWD 0.81

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$5.08 KWD 1.57

-44.88%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.45 KWD 0.14

95.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.34 KWD 0.10

44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.64 KWD 0.51

9.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.72 KWD 0.22

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.90 KWD 0.59

-16.84%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.06 KWD 0.64

3.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$4.29 KWD 1.32

364.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$6.84 KWD 2.11

-49.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.14 KWD 3.13

11.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.49 KWD 0.77

18.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.93 KWD 0.59

-10.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.83 KWD 0.56

26.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.56 KWD 0.48

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$1.31 KWD 0.41

12.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.49 KWD 0.46

-8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$2.29 KWD 0.71

-51.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.47 KWD 0.14

21.28%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.93 KWD 0.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.82 KWD 0.87

51.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$1.15 KWD 0.35

93.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$47.77 KWD 14.74

-52.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$3.27 KWD 1.01

-7.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$3.30 KWD 1.02

-67.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$10.49 KWD 3.24

-62.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$0.33 KWD 0.10

351.52%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$19.4K KWD 6,000

39.49%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$20.5K KWD 6,340

33.59%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$49.47 KWD 15.26

107.80%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$22.42 KWD 6.92

-50.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$29.69 KWD 9.16

-41.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$155 KWD 47.83

-65.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$16.08 KWD 4.96

-30.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$11.52 KWD 3.55

-35.07%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$299 KWD 92.2

86.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$7,556 KWD 2,331

56.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$38.25 KWD 11.80

67.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$39.73 KWD 12.26

-26.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$100 KWD 30.89

-4.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$88.4 KWD 27.28

2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$1,069 KWD 330

-31.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$830 KWD 256

-39.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$2,474 KWD 763

-15.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$1,330 KWD 410

-9.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$2,114 KWD 652

-76.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.53

-14.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Salmiya: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $1,069 in Salmiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salmiya pays 320% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $48.00 in Salmiya. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $178, with Salmiya cheaper for home cooking.

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 Salmiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 320% lower in Salmiya. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $1,069 in Salmiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $299 in Salmiya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Salmiya pay roughly 54% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,621 in Salmiya, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Salmiya. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Salmiya, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Salmiya 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 Salmiya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.