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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,416 in Salmiya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,275 in Salmiya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,134 in Salmiya.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 12% less than in Salmiya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Salmiya is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$9.22 KWD 2.86

-50.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$49.01 KWD 15.19

-5.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.04 KWD 2.49

9.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 KWD 0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 KWD 0.52

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$5.09 KWD 1.58

-39.88%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.42 KWD 0.13

73.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.35 KWD 0.11

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.55 KWD 0.48

45.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.90 KWD 0.28

101.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.72 KWD 0.53

30.81%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.88 KWD 0.58

19.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$5.16 KWD 1.60

278.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.65 KWD 2.06

-45.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.76 KWD 2.72

48.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.33 KWD 0.72

38.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.66 KWD 0.52

-2.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.73 KWD 0.54

37.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.51 KWD 0.47

34.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.24 KWD 0.38

23.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.31 KWD 0.41

14.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.61 KWD 0.50

-39.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.45 KWD 0.14

15.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.01 KWD 0.93

47.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.09 KWD 0.34

29.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$48.09 KWD 14.90

-75.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.31 KWD 1.03

-6.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.16 KWD 0.98

-67.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$13.27 KWD 4.11

6.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.37 KWD 0.11

254.05%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$20.0K KWD 6,191

39.23%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$19.7K KWD 6,100

68.75%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$56.3 KWD 17.43

117.67%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$18.42 KWD 5.71

-26.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$25.41 KWD 7.87

-26.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$108 KWD 33.39

-43.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$32.54 KWD 10.08

-47.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$11.21 KWD 3.48

-19.09%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$402 KWD 125

75.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,536 KWD 1,716

185.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$42.38 KWD 13.13

38.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$42.94 KWD 13.31

-17.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$86.8 KWD 26.88

33.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$82.5 KWD 25.56

1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$868 KWD 269

-27.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$666 KWD 207

-33.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$2,643 KWD 819

-22.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,321 KWD 409

12.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,931 KWD 598

-74.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.14

-25.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Salmiya: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $868 in Salmiya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salmiya pays 286% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Salmiya. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $168, 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 286% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $868 in Salmiya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $402 in Salmiya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Salmiya pay roughly 72% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,416 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 13% less than in Salmiya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.