Cost of Living Comparison Between Seef and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Seef and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,587 in Seef versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,458 in Seef versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Seef versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Seef is roughly 26% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seef is 19% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 BHD 4.05

$4.48 ฿150

139.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.90 BHD 15.04

$45.59 ฿1,521

-12.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 BHD 3.56

$8.76 ฿292

7.65%

Cappuccino

$5.61 BHD 2.12

$2.97 ฿99.0

88.89%

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

$1.48 BHD 0.56

$0.69 ฿22.90

114.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 BHD 0.29

$0.39 ฿13.04

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.52 BHD 3.97

$2.53 ฿84.4

315.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$18.48 BHD 6.97

$3.75 ฿125

392.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 BHD 0.61

$2.15 ฿71.6

-24.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 BHD 0.51

$1.82 ฿60.6

-25.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 BHD 1.17

$2.18 ฿72.9

42.20%

Eggs

$1.64 BHD 0.62

$2.25 ฿75.0

-27.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 BHD 4.03

$20.00 ฿667

-46.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 BHD 2.83

$3.63 ฿121

106.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 BHD 5.95

$13.56 ฿452

16.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 BHD 1.22

$3.24 ฿108

0.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 BHD 0.86

$1.64 ฿54.6

39.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 BHD 0.94

$2.33 ฿77.8

7.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 BHD 0.71

$2.07 ฿69.1

-8.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 BHD 0.51

$1.46 ฿48.54

-6.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 BHD 0.72

$0.98 ฿32.86

94.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 BHD 0.20

$0.48 ฿16.09

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 BHD 0.97

$4.35 ฿145

-40.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.75 BHD 1.41

$1.86 ฿61.9

101.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 BHD 1.01

$2.65 ฿88.6

1.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

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

$91.3 BHD 34.42

$123 ฿4,105

-25.78%

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

$23.91 BHD 9.01

$13.77 ฿459

73.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.68 BHD 17.22

$18.33 ฿611

149.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 BHD 27.46

$60.7 ฿2,025

20.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$10.58 BHD 3.99

$8.87 ฿296

19.28%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,916 BHD 2,984

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-49.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.68 BHD 11.94

$59.3 ฿1,978

-46.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 BHD 45.36

$115 ฿3,843

4.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 BHD 368

$621 ฿20.7K

57.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 BHD 270

$446 ฿14.9K

60.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 BHD 870

$2,034 ฿67.8K

13.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,438 BHD 542

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-3.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,327 BHD 1,254

$494 ฿16.5K

573.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Seef: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $976 in Seef and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seef pays 574% 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: $40.00 in Seef vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $256 vs $291 per month, with Seef 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

Seef vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 574% higher in Seef, 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: $976 in Seef versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Seef pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $40.00 in Seef. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,587 in Seef, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Seef. 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 Seef, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seef 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 26% less than in Seef. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.