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: $1,022 in Salalah versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,542 in Salalah versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,061 in Salalah versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Salalah costs roughly 18% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Salalah 26% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.28 OMR 2.03

$4.56 ฿152

15.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.36 OMR 10.15

$32.62 ฿1,086

-19.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 OMR 5.06

$8.90 ฿296

47.64%

Cappuccino

$6.29 OMR 2.42

$2.80 ฿93.4

124.64%

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

$0.85 OMR 0.33

$0.88 ฿29.31

-3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.49 ฿16.29

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.90 OMR 3.43

$2.39 ฿79.5

272.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.43 OMR 4.02

$3.71 ฿124

181.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 OMR 0.77

$1.79 ฿59.5

11.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 OMR 0.47

$1.44 ฿48.00

-15.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 OMR 1.03

$1.58 ฿52.8

68.99%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿70.8

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.62 OMR 1.78

$19.92 ฿663

-76.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 OMR 1.78

$3.43 ฿114

34.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿377

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 OMR 0.75

$2.95 ฿98.2

-34.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 OMR 0.69

$1.72 ฿57.3

4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 OMR 0.82

$2.32 ฿77.4

-8.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 OMR 0.72

$2.08 ฿69.3

-10.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 OMR 0.55

$1.47 ฿48.96

-2.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 OMR 0.39

$1.36 ฿45.22

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 OMR 0.42

$1.10 ฿36.59

-0.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 OMR 0.19

$0.57 ฿19.13

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.94 OMR 2.29

$4.27 ฿142

39.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.10 OMR 7.74

$18.42 ฿613

9.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.88 OMR 1.50

$1.87 ฿62.3

107.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 OMR 1.85

$2.92 ฿97.3

65.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 OMR 0.51

$2.22 ฿73.9

-40.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.0 OMR 21.17

$22.90 ฿762

140.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 OMR 0.86

$3.03 ฿101

-26.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 OMR 0.49

$1.07 ฿35.77

18.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.51 OMR 4.43

$3.93 ฿131

192.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 OMR 0.24

$1.49 ฿49.68

-57.72%

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

$21.1K OMR 8,121

$27.1K ฿903.4K

-22.24%

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

$18.2K OMR 6,998

$27.5K ฿914.1K

-33.78%

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

$79.6 OMR 30.63

$103 ฿3,423

-22.60%

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

$48.86 OMR 18.81

$10.99 ฿366

344.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 OMR 28.14

$17.51 ฿583

317.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.76 OMR 15.31

$53.5 ฿1,783

-25.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.79 OMR 9.93

$11.20 ฿373

130.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.76 OMR 2.99

$7.48 ฿249

3.74%

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

$557 ฿18.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,912 OMR 736

$11.9K ฿394.7K

-83.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.56 OMR 11.00

$64.1 ฿2,134

-55.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.61 OMR 11.78

$29.07 ฿968

5.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.4 OMR 22.10

$96.0 ฿3,195

-40.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.61 OMR 17.56

$90.3 ฿3,008

-49.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 OMR 95.6

$730 ฿24.3K

-66.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 OMR 79.4

$500 ฿16.6K

-58.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 OMR 239

$2,090 ฿69.6K

-70.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 OMR 151

$1,209 ฿40.3K

-67.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,001 OMR 770

$3,596 ฿119.7K

-44.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,246 OMR 480

$2,512 ฿83.7K

-50.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,813 OMR 698

$503 ฿16.8K

260.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

5.57

-17.77%

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

Last update for Salalah: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $248 in Salalah and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salalah pays 260% 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 $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $273 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 260% 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: $248 in Salalah versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Salalah – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Salalah runs roughly 140% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,022 in Salalah versus $1,253 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.