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: $1,604 in Seef versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,466 in Seef versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,328 in Seef versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Seef is roughly 30% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seef is 20% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.69 BHD 4.02

$4.63 ฿151

130.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.13 BHD 15.09

$46.84 ฿1,523

-14.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 BHD 3.55

$8.84 ฿287

6.67%

Cappuccino

$5.48 BHD 2.06

$3.00 ฿97.4

82.67%

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

$1.54 BHD 0.58

$0.74 ฿24.11

108.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 BHD 0.31

$0.37 ฿11.88

121.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.54 BHD 3.96

$2.44 ฿79.3

331.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$18.78 BHD 7.06

$3.61 ฿117

420.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 BHD 0.58

$2.26 ฿73.5

-31.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 BHD 0.51

$1.84 ฿59.8

-25.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 BHD 1.22

$2.24 ฿73.0

45.54%

Eggs

$1.56 BHD 0.59

$2.32 ฿75.3

-32.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 BHD 4.05

$19.67 ฿639

-45.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 BHD 2.92

$3.65 ฿119

112.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 BHD 5.90

$13.10 ฿426

19.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 BHD 1.18

$3.39 ฿110

-7.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 BHD 0.82

$1.64 ฿53.4

32.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 BHD 0.92

$2.41 ฿78.5

1.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 BHD 0.69

$2.03 ฿66.0

-8.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 BHD 0.51

$1.50 ฿48.66

-9.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 BHD 0.68

$1.02 ฿33.30

78.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 BHD 0.19

$0.49 ฿15.91

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 BHD 1.03

$4.45 ฿145

-38.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.77 BHD 1.42

$1.78 ฿57.7

111.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 BHD 0.97

$2.75 ฿89.5

-6.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$91.5 BHD 34.42

$125 ฿4,063

-26.76%

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

$24.18 BHD 9.09

$13.57 ฿441

78.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.68 BHD 17.18

$18.52 ฿602

146.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 BHD 27.67

$61.5 ฿1,999

19.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 BHD 4.05

$9.19 ฿299

17.19%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 BHD 2,958

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-49.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.74 BHD 11.93

$57.8 ฿1,878

-45.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 BHD 44.19

$113 ฿3,677

3.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 BHD 368

$616 ฿20.0K

58.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 BHD 272

$446 ฿14.5K

61.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,382 BHD 896

$2,048 ฿66.6K

16.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 BHD 548

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-2.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,423 BHD 911

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-35.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,615 BHD 607

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-39.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,331 BHD 1,253

$524 ฿17.0K

535.97%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Seef and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seef pays 536% 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 $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $292 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 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Seef pays 536% 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: $978 in Seef versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Seef pay roughly 15% 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 $47.00 versus $40.00 in Seef. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,604 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 30% less than in Seef. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.