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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,208 in Umluj.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,829 in Umluj.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,449 in Umluj.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than Umluj, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Umluj 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$6.58 SAR 24.70

-31.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$45.13 SAR 169

3.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$8.12 SAR 30.48

4.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.58 SAR 13.42

-13.97%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.79 SAR 2.98

-13.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.31 SAR 1.18

16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.64 SAR 6.15

33.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.98 SAR 3.68

84.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$2.39 SAR 8.98

-6.69%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.52 SAR 9.44

-11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$6.95 SAR 26.09

182.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$7.37 SAR 27.64

-49.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$13.15 SAR 49.36

2.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.28 SAR 8.56

47.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.66 SAR 6.21

-2.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.75 SAR 6.58

37.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.55 SAR 5.83

28.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.27 SAR 4.78

20.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.32 SAR 4.94

9.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.17 SAR 4.41

-13.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.55 SAR 2.05

-12.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.06

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$7.18 SAR 26.96

-40.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$1.08 SAR 4.07

31.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$40.13 SAR 151

-70.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$2.60 SAR 9.77

15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.90 SAR 7.15

-44.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$13.17 SAR 49.44

5.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$0.63 SAR 2.37

104.76%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$27.2K SAR 101.9K

3.20%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

50.79%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$106 SAR 399

14.83%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$34.23 SAR 128

-59.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$72.9 SAR 274

-74.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$86.8 SAR 326

-29.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$35.20 SAR 132

-52.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$15.41 SAR 57.8

-42.31%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$356 SAR 1,334

94.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$6,995 SAR 26.2K

131.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$59.6 SAR 223

-2.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$59.7 SAR 224

-40.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$78.1 SAR 293

45.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$82.3 SAR 309

0.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$440 SAR 1,652

37.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$380 SAR 1,426

17.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$840 SAR 3,151

141.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$616 SAR 2,312

142.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$2,338 SAR 8,775

53.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,315 SAR 4,934

96.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$4,252 SAR 16.0K

-88.13%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Umluj: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $440 in Umluj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays 743% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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 $197 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 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Umluj earns 743% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $440 in Umluj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $356 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 $1,208 in Umluj versus $1,223 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 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.