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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $490 in Sheikh Zayed.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $782 in Sheikh Zayed.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,075 in Sheikh Zayed.

Living in Phuket is roughly 155% more expensive than in Sheikh Zayed, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sheikh Zayed 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.58 E£183

27.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$15.97 E£815

189.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.99 E£204

121.55%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.44 E£73.5

112.50%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.31 E£15.87

135.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.10 E£5.21

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.18 E£60.1

105.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.04 E£155

24.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.79 E£40.48

186.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.78 E£39.72

132.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.65 E£33.19

246.15%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.38 E£70.4

63.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$3.88 E£198

402.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.36 E£222

-16.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.28 E£474

40.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.41 E£71.9

129.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.51 E£26.13

217.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.40 E£20.28

495.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.37 E£18.66

448.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.41 E£20.86

273.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.38 E£19.54

294.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.24 E£12.25

308.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.17 E£8.63

205.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.64 E£83.5

170.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.08 E£310

201.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.36 E£69.2

36.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.62 E£134

2.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.25 E£12.81

464.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.53 E£26.96

486.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.45 E£23.03

131.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$1.95 E£99.6

623.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.31 E£15.63

322.58%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$35.5K E£1.8M

-21.70%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$32.7K E£1.7M

1.72%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$11.43 E£584

971.22%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$5.63 E£287

141.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$10.06 E£513

85.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$39.14 E£1,998

54.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$10.06 E£513

68.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.89 E£147

213.84%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$87.5 E£4,464

707.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$1,832 E£93.5K

762.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$27.62 E£1,410

111.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$49.36 E£2,520

-28.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$109 E£5,549

6.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$50.8 E£2,591

64.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$193 E£9,856

224.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$97.9 E£5,000

354.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$441 E£22.5K

362.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$178 E£9,081

738.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,113 E£56.8K

212.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$605 E£30.9K

325.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$139 E£7,070

260.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-68.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sheikh Zayed: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $193 in Sheikh Zayed. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 261% 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 $16.00 in Sheikh Zayed for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $128 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 155% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 261% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $193 in Sheikh Zayed. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $87.5 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 $16.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $490 in Sheikh Zayed versus $1,250 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 155% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.