Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wadi Musa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wadi Musa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $930 in Wadi Musa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,186 in Wadi Musa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,442 in Wadi Musa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than Wadi Musa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Wadi Musa 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.41 JOD 3.84

-14.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$34.69 JOD 24.60

35.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.80 JOD 3.40

84.17%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.86 JOD 2.03

4.90%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.51 JOD 0.36

45.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.34 JOD 0.24

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$5.79 JOD 4.10

-57.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$7.03 JOD 4.99

-48.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.42 JOD 1.01

59.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.52 JOD 0.37

253.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.57 JOD 1.11

42.68%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.58 JOD 1.83

-10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.48 JOD 4.59

203.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.83 JOD 3.42

-24.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.38 JOD 8.07

15.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.78 JOD 1.27

90.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.43 JOD 1.01

14.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.46 JOD 1.04

65.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.69 JOD 0.49

194.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.87 JOD 0.61

79.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.69 JOD 0.49

117.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.61 JOD 0.43

67.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.47 JOD 0.34

4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.33 JOD 2.36

33.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$21.49 JOD 15.24

-12.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$4.62 JOD 3.28

-61.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$5.56 JOD 3.94

-50.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.68 JOD 0.48

358.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.38 JOD 0.97

-27.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$7.00 JOD 4.97

101.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.10 JOD 0.78

22.73%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$27.4K JOD 19.4K

-0.83%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$32.3K JOD 22.9K

1.77%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$69.9 JOD 49.57

78.77%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$4.36 JOD 3.09

211.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$14.29 JOD 10.13

29.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$35.55 JOD 25.21

72.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$11.39 JOD 8.07

-19.32%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$279 JOD 198

149.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$5,315 JOD 3,768

193.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$62.6 JOD 44.36

-7.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$56.2 JOD 39.87

-37.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$114 JOD 80.6

-0.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$81.0 JOD 57.5

6.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$355 JOD 252

73.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$282 JOD 200

58.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$493 JOD 350

6.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.27

-26.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Wadi Musa: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $355 in Wadi Musa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 6% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Wadi Musa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $230 per month, with Wadi Musa 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 Wadi Musa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wadi Musa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 6% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $355 in Wadi Musa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $279 in Wadi Musa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wadi Musa – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $930 in Wadi Musa versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Wadi Musa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Wadi Musa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Wadi Musa 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 Wadi Musa 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 Wadi Musa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.