Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Umm As-summaq Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Umm As-summaq

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $717 in Umm As-summaq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,387 in Umm As-summaq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,056 in Umm As-summaq.

Living in Phuket is roughly 74% more expensive than in Umm As-summaq, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Umm As-summaq 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.47 JOD 4.58

-29.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$49.79 JOD 35.25

-7.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.07 JOD 3.59

74.36%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.00 JOD 2.83

-23.50%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.48 JOD 0.34

52.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.37 JOD 0.26

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$5.76 JOD 4.08

-57.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$7.19 JOD 5.09

-47.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.30 JOD 0.92

73.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.36 JOD 0.26

402.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.39 JOD 0.98

61.87%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.57 JOD 1.82

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$2.87 JOD 2.03

579.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.38 JOD 4.52

-42.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.39 JOD 8.07

14.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.39 JOD 0.99

132.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.69 JOD 0.49

134.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.43 JOD 1.01

66.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.29 JOD 0.21

600.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.37 JOD 0.26

313.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.29 JOD 0.21

417.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.61 JOD 0.43

60.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.59 JOD 0.42

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.64 JOD 2.57

21.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$16.84 JOD 11.92

8.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$4.70 JOD 3.32

-60.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$5.57 JOD 3.94

-51.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.68 JOD 0.48

107.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.73 JOD 0.52

326.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.29 JOD 0.21

258.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$7.08 JOD 5.02

99.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.38 JOD 0.98

-5.07%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$27.3K JOD 19.3K

2.01%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$32.4K JOD 23.0K

2.38%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$104 JOD 73.7

17.61%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$17.12 JOD 12.12

-20.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$32.03 JOD 22.67

-41.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$40.97 JOD 29.00

47.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$35.31 JOD 25.00

-51.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$11.19 JOD 7.92

-18.95%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$277 JOD 196

154.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,456 JOD 3,863

189.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$60.8 JOD 43.01

-3.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$57.3 JOD 40.59

-38.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$112 JOD 79.5

2.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$81.2 JOD 57.5

3.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$376 JOD 267

66.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$470 JOD 333

334.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$359 JOD 254

315.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,701 JOD 1,204

104.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$859 JOD 608

-41.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Umm As-summaq: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $376 in Umm As-summaq. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umm As-summaq pays 72% 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 $50.0 in Umm As-summaq. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $205, with Umm As-summaq 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 Umm As-summaq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umm As-summaq is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Umm As-summaq. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $376 in Umm As-summaq. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $277 in Umm As-summaq. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Umm As-summaq – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $717 in Umm As-summaq versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Umm As-summaq but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Umm As-summaq the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Umm As-summaq 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 Umm As-summaq 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 Umm As-summaq gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.