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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,457 in Sohar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,102 in Sohar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,747 in Sohar.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 15% less than in Sohar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Sohar is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.66 OMR 2.56

-33.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$21.02 OMR 8.09

53.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.29 OMR 3.58

-3.88%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$4.94 OMR 1.90

-41.30%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.65 OMR 0.25

35.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.30 OMR 0.12

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$12.96 OMR 4.99

-81.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$14.14 OMR 5.45

-73.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.13 OMR 0.82

-12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.07 OMR 0.41

37.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.31 OMR 1.27

-53.17%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.81 OMR 1.08

-25.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$13.29 OMR 5.12

47.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.17 OMR 3.53

-62.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$14.54 OMR 5.60

-21.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.32 OMR 1.28

-10.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.12 OMR 0.82

-20.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.58 OMR 0.99

-14.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.17 OMR 0.45

84.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.77 OMR 0.68

-14.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.81 OMR 0.70

-25.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.64 OMR 0.63

-31.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.97 OMR 0.37

-43.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.82 OMR 2.24

-26.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$26.21 OMR 10.09

-27.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$3.92 OMR 1.51

-54.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$8.62 OMR 3.32

-67.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$2.62 OMR 1.01

-14.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$52.3 OMR 20.15

-56.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.16 OMR 1.22

-4.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.58 OMR 0.61

-35.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$10.43 OMR 4.02

-62.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.64 OMR 0.25

132.81%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$18.5K OMR 7,141

43.31%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$20.2K OMR 7,791

33.56%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$104 OMR 40.10

-1.62%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$29.82 OMR 11.48

-62.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$87.4 OMR 33.64

-80.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$49.20 OMR 18.94

5.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$11.48 OMR 4.42

-33.01%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$296 OMR 114

89.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,085 OMR 2,728

62.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$52.0 OMR 20.02

21.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$43.88 OMR 16.89

-32.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$80.1 OMR 30.84

22.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$46.55 OMR 17.92

90.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$494 OMR 190

49.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$377 OMR 145

27.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$798 OMR 307

164.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$680 OMR 262

80.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,157 OMR 445

212.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$789 OMR 304

229.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,428 OMR 935

-79.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.33

-12.01%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Sohar: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $494 in Sohar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sohar pays 392% 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 $21.00 in Sohar. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $348, 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 392% lower in Sohar. 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 $494 in Sohar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $296 in Sohar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Sohar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,457 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 18% less than in Sohar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.