Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sohar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sohar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,441 in Sohar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,151 in Sohar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,862 in Sohar.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 12% less than in Sohar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Sohar is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$6.53 OMR 2.51

-28.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$21.05 OMR 8.10

115.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$8.87 OMR 3.41

-4.96%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$6.62 OMR 2.55

-55.74%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.65 OMR 0.25

6.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.27 OMR 0.10

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$12.74 OMR 4.91

-81.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$14.10 OMR 5.43

-73.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$2.24 OMR 0.86

-0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.11 OMR 0.43

64.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$3.22 OMR 1.24

-32.61%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.82 OMR 1.09

-21.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$13.59 OMR 5.23

45.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$9.31 OMR 3.58

-61.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$14.40 OMR 5.54

-6.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.21 OMR 1.24

2.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.11 OMR 0.81

-23.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.55 OMR 0.98

-5.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.18 OMR 0.46

76.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.74 OMR 0.67

-12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.86 OMR 0.72

-20.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.72 OMR 0.66

-42.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.99 OMR 0.38

-48.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.14 OMR 2.36

-28.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$26.43 OMR 10.18

-26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$4.00 OMR 1.54

-55.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$8.47 OMR 3.26

-68.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$2.66 OMR 1.02

-48.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$51.9 OMR 20.00

-78.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.16 OMR 1.21

-4.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.53 OMR 0.59

-35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.51 OMR 4.05

34.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.60 OMR 0.23

126.67%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$18.1K OMR 6,963

55.94%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.8K OMR 8,000

58.34%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$101 OMR 38.93

20.35%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$29.04 OMR 11.18

-53.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$87.4 OMR 33.63

-79.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$51.6 OMR 19.86

16.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.78 OMR 4.54

-26.23%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$269 OMR 104

157.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$7,119 OMR 2,741

120.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$51.6 OMR 19.88

15.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$43.42 OMR 16.72

-19.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$78.3 OMR 30.14

46.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$46.95 OMR 18.08

77.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$485 OMR 187

26.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$388 OMR 149

12.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$753 OMR 290

178.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$669 OMR 257

125.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,154 OMR 444

224.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$774 OMR 298

238.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,455 OMR 945

-79.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.62

-5.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sohar: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $485 in Sohar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sohar pays 383% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Sohar. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $351, with Phuket 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 Sohar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sohar earns 383% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $485 in Sohar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $269 in Sohar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Sohar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,441 in Sohar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sohar. 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 Sohar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sohar 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 14% less than in Sohar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.