Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabah Al Salem and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sabah Al Salem and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,358 in Sabah Al Salem versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,245 in Sabah Al Salem versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,132 in Sabah Al Salem versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Sabah Al Salem is roughly 9% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sabah Al Salem is 2% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.70 KWD 2.37

$4.55 ฿153

69.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 KWD 17.84

$46.18 ฿1,554

25.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 KWD 2.59

$8.84 ฿298

-4.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 KWD 0.76

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 KWD 1.05

Cappuccino

$5.28 KWD 1.62

$3.06 ฿103

72.55%

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

$0.60 KWD 0.18

$0.73 ฿24.42

-17.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$0.40 ฿13.40

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 KWD 0.46

$2.26 ฿76.0

-34.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 KWD 0.33

$1.81 ฿60.9

-41.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 KWD 0.53

$2.25 ฿75.8

-23.56%

Eggs

$2.05 KWD 0.63

$2.25 ฿75.6

-8.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.37 KWD 1.34

$19.51 ฿656

-77.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 KWD 1.97

$3.65 ฿123

75.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.76 KWD 3.00

$13.05 ฿439

-25.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 KWD 0.71

$3.23 ฿109

-28.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 KWD 0.49

$1.62 ฿54.4

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 KWD 0.47

$2.38 ฿80.2

-36.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 KWD 0.42

$2.03 ฿68.2

-33.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 KWD 0.38

$1.53 ฿51.6

-20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 KWD 0.35

$1.50 ฿50.5

-23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 KWD 0.50

$0.98 ฿32.93

66.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 KWD 0.13

$0.52 ฿17.40

-19.23%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.85 KWD 0.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 KWD 0.92

$4.44 ฿149

-32.43%

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)

$0.88 KWD 0.27

$1.41 ฿47.49

-37.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.89 KWD 13.49

$11.70 ฿394

275.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 KWD 1.00

$3.11 ฿105

4.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 KWD 1.02

$1.04 ฿35.08

220.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.23 KWD 4.99

$14.11 ฿475

15.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$1.31 ฿44.13

-72.52%

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

$20.7K KWD 6,373

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-25.46%

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

$19.3K KWD 5,947

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-41.76%

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

$62.2 KWD 19.10

$122 ฿4,120

-49.24%

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

$18.37 KWD 5.65

$13.59 ฿457

35.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.42 KWD 7.81

$18.70 ฿629

35.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.2 KWD 28.35

$60.5 ฿2,035

52.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.49 KWD 14.29

$16.98 ฿572

173.79%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 KWD 3.45

$9.07 ฿305

23.81%

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

$282 KWD 86.8

$706 ฿23.8K

-60.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,129 KWD 1,884

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-61.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.43 KWD 12.74

$58.6 ฿1,970

-29.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.70 KWD 12.82

$35.36 ฿1,190

17.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 KWD 26.78

$115 ฿3,885

-24.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 KWD 24.75

$83.7 ฿2,818

-3.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 KWD 248

$626 ฿21.1K

29.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 KWD 190

$445 ฿15.0K

39.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 KWD 489

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-22.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 KWD 396

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-13.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,998 KWD 922

$500 ฿16.8K

499.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

5.33

33.96%

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

Last update for Sabah Al Salem: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $808 in Sabah Al Salem and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sabah Al Salem pays 500% 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: $58.0 in Sabah Al Salem vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $167 vs $289, with Sabah Al Salem cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sabah Al Salem vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 500% higher in Sabah Al Salem, 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: $808 in Sabah Al Salem versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Sabah Al Salem versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sabah Al Salem pay roughly 73% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,358 in Sabah Al Salem, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sabah Al Salem. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sabah Al Salem, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sabah Al Salem and Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Sabah Al Salem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.