Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sur Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sur

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,142 in Sur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,655 in Sur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,168 in Sur.

Living in Phuket is roughly 11% more expensive than in Sur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sur 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$3.81 OMR 1.47

22.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,060

$25.90 OMR 9.97

24.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿286

$7.83 OMR 3.01

10.86%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.4

$4.97 OMR 1.91

-41.65%

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

$0.84 ฿27.78

$0.75 OMR 0.29

12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.10

$0.27 OMR 0.10

81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.7

$12.88 OMR 4.96

-80.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$13.09 OMR 5.04

-71.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$1.60 OMR 0.61

18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.36

$1.29 OMR 0.50

9.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.4

$1.70 OMR 0.66

-4.71%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.8

$2.00 OMR 0.77

12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿653

$7.68 OMR 2.96

158.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$6.63 OMR 2.55

-47.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

$9.19 OMR 3.54

23.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.4

$2.31 OMR 0.89

25.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.8

$1.27 OMR 0.49

35.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.8

$1.06 OMR 0.41

114.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.2

$0.74 OMR 0.29

187.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.53

$0.80 OMR 0.31

83.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.73

$0.51 OMR 0.19

178.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.11

$1.52 OMR 0.58

-27.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.68

$0.50 OMR 0.19

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$6.30 OMR 2.43

-31.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$15.73 OMR 6.06

18.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.3

$5.66 OMR 2.18

-68.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.6

$8.73 OMR 3.36

-65.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿773

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.19 OMR 1.23

-2.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.42

$2.66 OMR 1.02

-59.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$8.01 OMR 3.08

-51.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.97

$0.58 OMR 0.22

146.55%

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

$27.8K ฿914.4K

$25.3K OMR 9,753

9.69%

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

$27.0K ฿888.0K

$22.6K OMR 8,693

19.51%

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

$105 ฿3,449

$78.9 OMR 30.39

32.76%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$23.85 OMR 9.18

-52.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$70.3 OMR 27.06

-75.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,788

$86.5 OMR 33.30

-37.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿377

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$10.25 OMR 3.94

-24.10%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$292 OMR 112

97.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.2K

$6,501 OMR 2,503

78.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,094

$55.5 OMR 21.38

14.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿958

$42.74 OMR 16.46

-31.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,167

$91.0 OMR 35.05

5.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,962

$94.9 OMR 36.54

-5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$262 OMR 101

179.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$268 OMR 103

86.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.0K

$475 OMR 183

347.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$387 OMR 149

223.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.3K

$568 OMR 219

522.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.3K

$520 OMR 200

404.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$2,671 OMR 1,028

-81.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sur: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $262 in Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sur pays 426% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Sur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $247 per month, with Sur 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 Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sur is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 426% lower in Sur. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $262 in Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $292 in Sur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sur – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,142 in Sur versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sur but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sur 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 Sur 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 Sur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.