Cost of Living Comparison Between Salalah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Salalah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,106 in Salalah versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,665 in Salalah versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,225 in Salalah versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Salalah costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Salalah 17% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 OMR 1.98

$4.55 ฿153

12.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.64 OMR 9.87

$46.18 ฿1,550

-44.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.10 OMR 5.04

$8.84 ฿297

48.19%

Cappuccino

$6.19 OMR 2.38

$3.06 ฿103

102.29%

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

$0.68 OMR 0.26

$0.73 ฿24.36

-6.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 OMR 0.10

$0.40 ฿13.37

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.92 OMR 3.44

$2.43 ฿81.6

267.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.37 OMR 3.99

$3.78 ฿127

174.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 OMR 0.68

$2.26 ฿75.8

-22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$1.81 ฿60.8

-29.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 OMR 0.78

$2.25 ฿75.7

-10.22%

Eggs

$1.90 OMR 0.73

$2.25 ฿75.4

-15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.73 OMR 2.59

$19.51 ฿655

-65.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 OMR 1.79

$3.65 ฿122

27.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.84 OMR 3.40

$13.05 ฿438

-32.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 OMR 0.79

$3.23 ฿109

-36.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 OMR 0.42

$1.62 ฿54.3

-32.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 OMR 0.61

$2.38 ฿80.0

-33.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 OMR 0.44

$2.03 ฿68.0

-43.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 OMR 0.43

$1.53 ฿51.5

-26.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 OMR 0.30

$1.50 ฿50.4

-48.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 OMR 0.21

$0.98 ฿32.85

-44.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 OMR 0.21

$0.52 ฿17.36

3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 OMR 2.26

$4.44 ฿149

32.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.01 OMR 7.70

$18.32 ฿615

9.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.84 OMR 1.48

$1.86 ฿62.6

106.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 OMR 1.85

$2.68 ฿90.0

79.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 OMR 0.49

$1.41 ฿47.37

-9.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.3 OMR 20.89

$11.70 ฿393

363.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 OMR 0.90

$3.11 ฿104

-24.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 OMR 0.51

$1.04 ฿35.00

27.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 OMR 4.55

$14.11 ฿474

-16.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.31 ฿44.02

-54.20%

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

$21.1K OMR 8,114

$27.8K ฿933.8K

-24.21%

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

$18.5K OMR 7,127

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-44.25%

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

$63.8 OMR 24.55

$122 ฿4,110

-47.92%

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

$49.44 OMR 19.03

$13.59 ฿456

263.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 OMR 29.62

$18.70 ฿628

311.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.1 OMR 35.81

$60.5 ฿2,031

53.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.71 OMR 9.90

$16.98 ฿570

51.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.03 OMR 3.09

$9.07 ฿305

-11.47%

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

$111 OMR 42.87

$706 ฿23.7K

-84.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,399 OMR 923

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-84.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.70 OMR 10.66

$58.6 ฿1,965

-52.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.71 OMR 11.82

$35.36 ฿1,187

-13.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.2 OMR 23.95

$115 ฿3,876

-46.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.75 OMR 16.46

$83.7 ฿2,811

-48.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$259 OMR 99.7

$626 ฿21.0K

-58.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 OMR 80.2

$445 ฿14.9K

-53.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 OMR 193

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-75.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 OMR 141

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-75.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,034 OMR 783

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-41.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,218 OMR 469

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-52.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,785 OMR 687

$500 ฿16.8K

257.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

5.33

-14.07%

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

Last update for Salalah: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $259 in Salalah and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salalah pays 257% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Salalah vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $289 per month, with Salalah 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

Salalah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salalah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 257% higher in Salalah, 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: $259 in Salalah versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $111 in Salalah versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,106 in Salalah versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Salalah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Salalah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Salalah 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, Salalah 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 Salalah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.