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 $1,237 in Umluj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,848 in Umluj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,460 in Umluj.

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Umluj; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.58 SAR 24.68

-29.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$45.36 SAR 170

3.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.21 SAR 30.78

7.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 SAR 6.71

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.75 SAR 14.08

-20.00%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.80 SAR 2.99

-7.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.31 SAR 1.18

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.70 SAR 6.37

32.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.95 SAR 3.55

93.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.36 SAR 8.86

-5.08%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.48 SAR 9.31

-6.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.76 SAR 25.35

190.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.32 SAR 27.44

-50.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.24 SAR 49.64

-1.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.27 SAR 8.51

49.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.62 SAR 6.08

1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.67 SAR 6.28

44.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.61 SAR 6.03

26.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.28 SAR 4.81

21.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.28 SAR 4.81

17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.17 SAR 4.40

-12.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.55 SAR 2.07

-10.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.22 SAR 12.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.36

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$7.13 SAR 26.75

-37.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.06 SAR 3.97

32.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$39.24 SAR 147

-70.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.69 SAR 10.10

15.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.90 SAR 7.13

-47.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$13.40 SAR 50.3

5.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.60 SAR 2.24

125.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.3K SAR 98.7K

3.33%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.7K SAR 85.1K

45.06%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$106 SAR 398

17.66%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$33.78 SAR 127

-59.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$72.8 SAR 273

-74.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$88.6 SAR 332

-30.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$36.32 SAR 136

-53.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$15.81 SAR 59.3

-41.87%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$350 SAR 1,312

99.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,866 SAR 25.7K

127.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$58.5 SAR 219

-1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$59.9 SAR 225

-41.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$80.6 SAR 302

40.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$81.3 SAR 305

6.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$440 SAR 1,649

40.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$388 SAR 1,456

14.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$861 SAR 3,229

137.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$633 SAR 2,372

135.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,328 SAR 8,731

62.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,358 SAR 5,093

95.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$4,303 SAR 16.1K

-87.83%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Umluj: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $440 in Umluj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays 721% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Umluj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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

On paper, Umluj earns 721% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $440 in Umluj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $350 in Umluj. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $45.00 in Umluj. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,237 in Umluj, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Umluj. 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 Umluj, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Umluj on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.