Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Umm Salal Mohammed

For one person, living is cheaper in Umm Salal Mohammed: $232 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Umm Salal Mohammed

🇶🇦 Qatar

$232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Umm Salal Mohammed

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Umm Salal Mohammed actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $232 in Umm Salal Mohammed.

Phuket $1,278
Umm Salal Mohammed $232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $390 in Umm Salal Mohammed.

Phuket $2,216
Umm Salal Mohammed $390

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $548 in Umm Salal Mohammed.

Phuket $3,154
Umm Salal Mohammed $548

Living in Phuket is roughly 451% more expensive than in Umm Salal Mohammed, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Umm Salal Mohammed 83% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.24 QAR 8.15

-25.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.54 QAR 5.60

-5.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.60 QAR 9.46

-42.31%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.61 QAR 9.49

-19.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.44 QAR 30.74

125.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.06 QAR 18.41

-34.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.64 QAR 35.10

13.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.97 QAR 7.18

48.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.55 QAR 5.63

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.13 QAR 4.10

99.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.37 QAR 8.62

-12.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.83 QAR 3.03

81.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.66 QAR 6.05

-16.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.88 QAR 6.86

-43.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.43 QAR 1.56

20.93%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.43 QAR 45.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 QAR 5.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.93 QAR 21.58

-29.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$1.08 QAR 3.94

34.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$33.30 QAR 121

70.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.15 QAR 7.82

40.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$5.63 QAR 20.51

-34.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.60 QAR 2.18

145.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$20.4K QAR 74.3K

30.73%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Umm Salal Mohammed: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Umm Salal Mohammed

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇶🇦 Umm Salal Mohammed

🕒 Local time

14:32 2:32 PM

10:32 10:32 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

33,909

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Qatari Riyal QAR ر.ق

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 QAR = 0.275 USD

1 QAR = 0.246 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

QAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Qatari Riyal exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.64 QAR (1 QAR = 0.275 USD). 1 EUR = 4.06 QAR (1 QAR = 0.246 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Umm Salal Mohammed 5,340 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Umm Salal Mohammed

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Salal Mohammed: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umm Salal Mohammed is about 82% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $348 in Umm Salal Mohammed to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in Umm Salal Mohammed runs roughly 41% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $232 in Umm Salal Mohammed versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Umm Salal Mohammed but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Umm Salal Mohammed the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Umm Salal Mohammed are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.