Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Urmia

For one person, living is cheaper in Urmia: $419 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Urmia
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Urmia Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Urmia

🇮🇷 Iran

$419

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Urmia

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 Urmia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $419 in Urmia.

Phuket $1,208
Urmia $419

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $725 in Urmia.

Phuket $2,027
Urmia $725

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,030 in Urmia.

Phuket $2,845
Urmia $1,030

Living in Phuket is roughly 188% more expensive than in Urmia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Urmia 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$5.06 $5.06

-13.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$23.78 $23.78

35.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$2.97 $2.97

194.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 $1.26

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.09 $1.09

159.63%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.74 $0.74

21.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.49 $0.49

-4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.62 $0.62

179.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.44 $0.44

234.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$2.35 $2.35

-35.74%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.22 $1.22

77.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$4.29 $4.29

359.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$2.54 $2.54

31.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$6.37 $6.37

75.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$0.88 $0.88

223.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.46 $1.46

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$0.74 $0.74

195.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.67 $0.67

205.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.52 $0.52

178.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.56 $0.56

146.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.53 $0.53

101.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.26 $0.26

96.15%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.13 $1.13

276.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.16 $0.16

1312.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$9.65 $9.65

129.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$0.39 $0.39

671.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.31 $0.31

241.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$2.55 $2.55

51.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.10 $0.10

1350.00%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$49.6K $49.6K

-46.97%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$44.0K $44.0K

-38.76%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$12.79 $12.79

653.56%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$1.58 $1.58

598.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$3.65 $3.65

369.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$9.38 $9.38

456.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$13.16 $13.16

-15.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$2.02 $2.02

286.63%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$106 $106

426.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$2,393 $2,393

383.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$22.69 $22.69

182.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$27.94 $27.94

2.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$97.7 $97.7

-2.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$32.75 $32.75

168.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$175 $175

320.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$130 $130

255.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$326 $326

541.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$271 $271

342.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$712 $712

389.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$594 $594

324.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$277 $277

81.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.3

-77.08%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Urmia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Urmia

$130 31% 71.9% $332

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Urmia

$97 23.1% 63.9% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Urmia

$18 4.3% 85.5% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Urmia

$81 19.4% 34.5% $43

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Urmia

$67 16.1% 44.5% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Urmia

$13 3.2% 80.2% $54

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Urmia

$12 2.9% 69% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $175 in Urmia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 81% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Urmia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $97.0 per month, with Urmia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇷 Urmia

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

20:31 8:31 PM

3 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

736,224

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Urmia 6,280 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Urmia

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 Urmia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urmia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 188% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 81% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $175 in Urmia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $106 in Urmia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 177% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $419 in Urmia versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Urmia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Urmia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Urmia 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 Urmia 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 Urmia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 188% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.