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 $1,604 in Seef.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,466 in Seef.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,328 in Seef.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 23% less than in Seef, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Seef is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.69 BHD 4.02

-56.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$40.13 BHD 15.09

16.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.43 BHD 3.55

-6.26%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$5.48 BHD 2.06

-45.26%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.54 BHD 0.58

-51.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.82 BHD 0.31

-54.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$10.54 BHD 3.96

-76.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$18.78 BHD 7.06

-80.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.54 BHD 0.58

46.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.37 BHD 0.51

34.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$3.26 BHD 1.22

-31.29%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.56 BHD 0.59

48.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.76 BHD 4.05

82.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.77 BHD 2.92

-53.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$15.68 BHD 5.90

-16.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.14 BHD 1.18

7.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.18 BHD 0.82

-24.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.45 BHD 0.92

-1.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.85 BHD 0.69

9.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.36 BHD 0.51

10.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.82 BHD 0.68

-43.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.51 BHD 0.19

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.73 BHD 1.03

63.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.77 BHD 1.42

-52.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.58 BHD 0.97

6.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$125 ฿4,087

$91.5 BHD 34.42

36.55%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$24.18 BHD 9.09

-43.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$45.68 BHD 17.18

-59.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$73.6 BHD 27.67

-16.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$10.77 BHD 4.05

-14.67%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,866 BHD 2,958

98.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$31.74 BHD 11.93

81.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$118 BHD 44.19

-3.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$978 BHD 368

-37.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$722 BHD 272

-38.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$2,382 BHD 896

-14.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,458 BHD 548

2.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,423 BHD 911

55.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,615 BHD 607

64.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$3,331 BHD 1,253

-84.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Seef: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $978 in Seef. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seef pays 536% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Seef for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $254 per month, with Seef 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 Seef: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Seef earns 536% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $978 in Seef. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Seef pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $40.00 in Seef. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,604 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 30% less than in Seef. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.