Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Umluj Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Umluj

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,203 in Umluj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,846 in Umluj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,489 in Umluj.

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than in Umluj, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Umluj 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$6.57 SAR 24.67

-31.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$44.50 SAR 167

2.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.94 SAR 29.83

10.33%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.85

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.74 SAR 14.03

-20.59%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.80 SAR 3.00

-13.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.29 SAR 1.07

34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.71 SAR 6.41

25.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.94 SAR 3.51

93.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.28 SAR 8.56

-4.39%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.44 SAR 9.16

-7.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.84 SAR 25.67

192.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.63 SAR 28.65

-52.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$12.88 SAR 48.37

5.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.25 SAR 8.46

44.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.65 SAR 6.21

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.72 SAR 6.47

35.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.55 SAR 5.81

33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.25 SAR 4.69

24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.28 SAR 4.81

14.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.19 SAR 4.49

-17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.56 SAR 2.10

-14.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.73 SAR 10.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$7.06 SAR 26.51

-38.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.08 SAR 4.06

31.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$40.31 SAR 151

-71.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.69 SAR 10.11

17.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.88 SAR 7.07

-45.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$13.34 SAR 50.1

4.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.65 SAR 2.44

106.15%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.5K SAR 99.4K

4.95%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$21.9K SAR 82.4K

52.13%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$107 SAR 402

15.06%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$34.12 SAR 128

-59.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$71.5 SAR 269

-74.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$87.1 SAR 327

-30.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$36.17 SAR 136

-52.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$15.56 SAR 58.4

-42.99%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$353 SAR 1,324

95.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,914 SAR 26.0K

128.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$60.0 SAR 225

-1.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$59.7 SAR 224

-41.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$79.9 SAR 300

44.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$82.1 SAR 308

2.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$438 SAR 1,644

41.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$380 SAR 1,428

17.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$836 SAR 3,139

143.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$621 SAR 2,331

141.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,392 SAR 8,983

44.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,226 SAR 4,605

106.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$4,239 SAR 15.9K

-88.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.42

20.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Umluj: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $438 in Umluj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays 759% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Umluj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $196 per month, with Umluj 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 Umluj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umluj is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 759% lower in Umluj. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $438 in Umluj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $353 in Umluj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,203 in Umluj versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Umluj but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Umluj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Umluj 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 Umluj 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 Umluj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.