Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Urmia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Urmia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $442 in Urmia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $724 in Urmia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,007 in Urmia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 183% more expensive than in Urmia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Urmia 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.72 $3.72

22.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$17.15 $17.15

169.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$4.46 $4.46

98.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 $1.22

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.20 $1.20

155.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.91 $0.91

-19.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.57 $0.57

-29.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.62 $0.62

264.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.72 $0.72

151.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.35 $2.35

-4.26%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.18 $1.18

90.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$3.42 $3.42

470.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.47 $2.47

47.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.57 $6.57

98.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$0.86 $0.86

275.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.42 $1.42

14.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$0.78 $0.78

205.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$0.68 $0.68

198.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.49 $0.49

212.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.52 $0.52

188.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.55 $0.55

78.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.23 $0.23

126.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.56 $0.56

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 $1.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.17 $1.17

279.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.21 $0.21

571.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$9.82 $9.82

19.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.41 $0.41

658.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.26 $0.26

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.04 $2.04

591.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$0.78 $0.78

67.95%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$77.4K $77.4K

-64.04%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$44.1K $44.1K

-24.60%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$15.65 $15.65

682.36%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$2.12 $2.12

541.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$5.88 $5.88

218.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$22.25 $22.25

171.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$5.41 $5.41

213.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$1.54 $1.54

488.96%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$118 $118

500.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$1,980 $1,980

697.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$22.05 $22.05

165.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$24.53 $24.53

44.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$111 $111

4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$32.74 $32.74

155.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$170 $170

268.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$129 $129

243.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$329 $329

519.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$272 $272

448.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$708 $708

392.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$588 $588

338.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$192 $192

160.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-74.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Urmia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $170 in Urmia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 161% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Urmia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $97.0 per month, with Urmia 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 Urmia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urmia is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 183% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 161% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $170 in Urmia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $118 in Urmia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 199% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $442 in Urmia versus $1,250 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 183% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.