Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sheikh Zayed Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sheikh Zayed

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $479 in Sheikh Zayed.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $820 in Sheikh Zayed.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,160 in Sheikh Zayed.

Living in Phuket is roughly 161% more expensive than in Sheikh Zayed, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Sheikh Zayed 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$4.37 E£222

4.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$16.91 E£860

92.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$4.48 E£228

98.66%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.37 E£69.5

104.38%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.34 E£17.30

158.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.15 E£7.44

226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.37 E£69.6

74.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.96 E£151

25.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$0.89 E£45.05

101.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.77 E£38.95

87.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.58 E£29.46

172.41%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.22 E£62.0

74.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$3.95 E£201

404.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.43 E£225

-22.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$9.35 E£476

21.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.62 E£82.3

82.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.74 E£37.40

132.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$0.54 E£27.47

329.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.35 E£18.03

494.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.25 E£12.60

488.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.31 E£15.57

338.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.29 E£14.83

279.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.22 E£11.41

159.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$1.68 E£85.5

154.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$5.88 E£299

213.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.93 E£47.50

101.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.67 E£136

9.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.29 E£14.57

665.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.54 E£27.46

461.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.43 E£21.80

148.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.95 E£99.2

101.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$0.41 E£20.65

263.41%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$31.9K E£1.6M

-14.91%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$28.9K E£1.5M

-5.03%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$14.49 E£737

609.45%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$7.51 E£382

46.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$13.59 E£691

28.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$39.87 E£2,029

34.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$9.58 E£487

16.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$2.91 E£148

157.04%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$85.8 E£4,365

549.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$2,121 E£107.9K

458.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$33.62 E£1,711

90.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$45.30 E£2,305

-35.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$124 E£6,322

-22.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$53.7 E£2,733

68.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$196 E£9,954

273.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$79.3 E£4,037

530.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$516 E£26.3K

305.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$197 E£10.0K

513.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,093 E£55.6K

228.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$597 E£30.4K

321.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$136 E£6,900

271.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

21.33

-73.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Sheikh Zayed: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $196 in Sheikh Zayed. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 271% 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 $17.00 in Sheikh Zayed for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $129 per month, with Sheikh Zayed 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 Sheikh Zayed: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sheikh Zayed is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 161% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 271% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $196 in Sheikh Zayed. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $85.8 in Sheikh Zayed. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sheikh Zayed – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $479 in Sheikh Zayed versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sheikh Zayed but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sheikh Zayed the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sheikh Zayed 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 Sheikh Zayed gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.