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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,168 in Umluj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,752 in Umluj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,336 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 10% lower, Umluj 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.71 SAR 25.22

-34.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$36.73 SAR 138

-12.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$8.07 SAR 30.30

10.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.87

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.48 SAR 13.06

-16.67%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.90 SAR 3.38

-2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.26 SAR 0.98

84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.67 SAR 6.26

11.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.16 SAR 4.34

26.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$2.16 SAR 8.11

-28.24%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.39 SAR 8.97

-12.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$7.34 SAR 27.58

166.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.99 SAR 30.01

-57.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$12.98 SAR 48.77

-12.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.08 SAR 7.82

43.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.71 SAR 6.40

-1.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.57 SAR 5.89

40.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.63 SAR 6.14

32.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.14 SAR 4.28

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.30 SAR 4.88

3.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.14 SAR 4.27

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.55 SAR 2.06

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.87 SAR 10.80

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.47 SAR 24.30

-34.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$1.05 SAR 3.96

112.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$35.76 SAR 134

-36.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.96 SAR 11.14

2.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$1.83 SAR 6.86

-44.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$13.29 SAR 49.91

-70.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$0.65 SAR 2.44

129.23%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$45.8K SAR 172.1K

-41.99%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$21.7K SAR 81.5K

24.61%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$98.6 SAR 371

3.88%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$32.02 SAR 120

-64.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$68.1 SAR 256

-74.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$84.1 SAR 316

-38.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$37.21 SAR 140

-70.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$13.07 SAR 49.10

-41.16%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$341 SAR 1,279

64.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$6,614 SAR 24.8K

73.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$49.91 SAR 187

26.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$58.3 SAR 219

-49.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$97.0 SAR 364

1.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$87.9 SAR 330

0.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$588 SAR 2,210

25.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$349 SAR 1,311

38.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$883 SAR 3,315

138.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$553 SAR 2,078

121.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$2,391 SAR 8,982

51.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,395 SAR 5,240

86.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$4,205 SAR 15.8K

-88.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.47

1.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Umluj: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $588 in Umluj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays 752% 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 $37.00 in Umluj. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $200, with Umluj 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 Umluj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 752% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $588 in Umluj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $341 in Umluj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,168 in Umluj versus $1,232 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.