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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $959 in Wadi Musa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,204 in Wadi Musa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,449 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 6% lower, Wadi Musa 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.40 JOD 3.82

-15.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$35.44 JOD 25.08

31.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.91 JOD 3.48

72.51%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.75 JOD 1.95

10.18%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.48 JOD 0.34

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.36 JOD 0.26

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$5.76 JOD 4.08

-56.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.13 JOD 5.04

-48.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.43 JOD 1.01

52.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.55 JOD 0.39

245.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.56 JOD 1.11

41.03%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.46 JOD 1.74

-9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.44 JOD 4.56

210.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.76 JOD 3.37

-23.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$11.48 JOD 8.13

15.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.75 JOD 1.24

84.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.38 JOD 0.98

23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.48 JOD 1.04

61.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.70 JOD 0.49

197.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.87 JOD 0.61

82.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.73 JOD 0.52

102.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.66 JOD 0.47

56.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.50 JOD 0.35

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.30 JOD 2.33

28.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$20.94 JOD 14.82

-10.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$4.79 JOD 3.39

-63.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$5.29 JOD 3.75

-47.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.73 JOD 0.52

330.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.38 JOD 0.97

-24.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$7.23 JOD 5.12

90.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.15 JOD 0.82

16.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.7K JOD 18.9K

3.73%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$31.8K JOD 22.5K

6.50%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$69.8 JOD 49.43

76.96%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$4.25 JOD 3.01

218.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$13.84 JOD 9.79

35.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$35.41 JOD 25.06

74.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$11.38 JOD 8.06

-19.68%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$271 JOD 192

159.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$5,377 JOD 3,806

195.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$61.8 JOD 43.73

-3.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$56.3 JOD 39.81

-37.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$115 JOD 81.5

0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$81.5 JOD 57.7

3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$347 JOD 246

78.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$286 JOD 203

51.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$503 JOD 356

0.74%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Wadi Musa: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $347 in Wadi Musa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 1% 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 $293 vs $229 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 1% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $347 in Wadi Musa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $271 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 $959 in Wadi Musa versus $1,261 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.