Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Seef Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Seef

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,683 in Seef.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,629 in Seef.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,575 in Seef.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 27% less than in Seef, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Seef is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.15 BHD 3.07

-45.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$52.6 BHD 19.83

-38.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$8.27 BHD 3.12

7.98%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$5.23 BHD 1.97

-44.55%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.49 BHD 0.56

-40.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.83 BHD 0.31

-42.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$10.59 BHD 3.99

-77.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$18.80 BHD 7.09

-80.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.31 BHD 0.87

-19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.31 BHD 0.49

12.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.10 BHD 1.17

-50.00%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.54 BHD 0.58

36.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$10.59 BHD 3.99

84.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.01 BHD 2.27

-43.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$15.79 BHD 5.95

-27.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.15 BHD 1.19

-5.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.08 BHD 0.79

-19.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.57 BHD 0.97

-14.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.88 BHD 0.71

14.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.07 BHD 0.40

25.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.81 BHD 0.68

-37.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.38 BHD 0.14

44.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.75 BHD 1.41

13.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$3.82 BHD 1.44

-53.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.60 BHD 0.98

6.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.63 BHD 0.24

253.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$65.4 BHD 24.64

-65.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.48 BHD 1.31

-12.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$3.30 BHD 1.24

-69.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$6.54 BHD 2.46

-40.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.60 BHD 0.23

148.33%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

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

$102 ฿3,420

$98.1 BHD 36.96

4.48%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$26.44 BHD 9.97

-57.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$46.30 BHD 17.45

-62.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$72.2 BHD 27.21

-27.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$10.65 BHD 4.02

-27.79%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$8,018 BHD 3,022

43.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$68.9 BHD 25.95

-8.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$53.3 BHD 20.08

-44.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$92.7 BHD 34.92

5.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$79.1 BHD 29.80

11.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$936 BHD 353

-21.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$676 BHD 255

-28.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$2,136 BHD 805

-1.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,402 BHD 528

-12.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,376 BHD 1,272

-85.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Seef: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $936 in Seef. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seef pays 584% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $53.0 in Seef. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $250, with Seef 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 Seef: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 584% lower in Seef. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $936 in Seef. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $53.0 in Seef. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 188% less than in Seef. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,683 in Seef, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Seef. 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 Seef, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Seef 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 37% less than in Seef. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.