Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohar and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sohar and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,428 in Sohar versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,124 in Sohar versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,820 in Sohar versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Sohar is roughly 14% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sohar is 7% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 OMR 2.56

$4.55 ฿153

46.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.08 OMR 8.11

$46.18 ฿1,554

-54.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 OMR 3.51

$8.84 ฿298

3.17%

Cappuccino

$7.01 OMR 2.70

$3.06 ฿103

129.08%

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

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$0.73 ฿24.42

-12.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 OMR 0.10

$0.40 ฿13.40

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.09 OMR 5.04

$2.43 ฿81.8

438.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.16 OMR 5.45

$3.78 ฿127

274.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 OMR 0.87

$2.26 ฿76.0

0.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 OMR 0.41

$1.81 ฿60.9

-41.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 OMR 1.28

$2.25 ฿75.8

48.00%

Eggs

$2.73 OMR 1.05

$2.25 ฿75.6

21.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 OMR 5.26

$19.51 ฿656

-29.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 OMR 3.42

$3.65 ฿123

143.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 OMR 5.41

$13.05 ฿439

7.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 OMR 1.27

$3.23 ฿109

2.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 OMR 0.81

$1.62 ฿54.4

29.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 OMR 0.99

$2.38 ฿80.2

8.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 OMR 0.45

$2.03 ฿68.2

-42.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 OMR 0.67

$1.53 ฿51.6

14.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 OMR 0.71

$1.50 ฿50.5

22.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 OMR 0.67

$0.98 ฿32.93

77.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 OMR 0.38

$0.52 ฿17.40

88.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 OMR 2.25

$4.44 ฿149

31.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.86 OMR 9.95

$18.32 ฿616

41.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 OMR 1.52

$1.86 ฿62.7

112.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.79 OMR 3.38

$2.68 ฿90.2

227.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

$1.41 ฿47.49

85.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.3 OMR 19.74

$11.70 ฿394

338.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 OMR 1.28

$3.11 ฿105

7.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 OMR 0.62

$1.04 ฿35.08

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.37 OMR 3.99

$14.11 ฿475

-26.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.31 ฿44.13

-54.20%

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

$18.2K OMR 7,016

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-34.47%

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

$20.6K OMR 7,923

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-38.03%

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

$102 OMR 39.11

$122 ฿4,120

-17.01%

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

$29.28 OMR 11.27

$13.59 ฿457

115.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.1 OMR 33.53

$18.70 ฿629

365.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 OMR 20.15

$60.5 ฿2,035

-13.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$11.69 OMR 4.50

$9.07 ฿305

28.89%

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

$267 OMR 103

$706 ฿23.8K

-62.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,155 OMR 2,754

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-54.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 OMR 19.48

$58.6 ฿1,970

-13.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.88 OMR 16.89

$35.36 ฿1,190

24.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 OMR 30.88

$115 ฿3,885

-30.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.41 OMR 17.86

$83.7 ฿2,818

-44.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 OMR 191

$626 ฿21.1K

-20.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 OMR 148

$445 ฿15.0K

-13.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 OMR 300

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-61.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 OMR 263

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-54.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,184 OMR 456

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-66.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$775 OMR 298

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-69.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,506 OMR 965

$500 ฿16.8K

401.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

5.33

5.44%

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

Last update for Sohar: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $497 in Sohar and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sohar pays 401% 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: $21.00 in Sohar vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $289, with Phuket 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

Sohar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 401% higher in Sohar, 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: $497 in Sohar versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in Sohar 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 20% higher in Sohar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,428 in Sohar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sohar. 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 Sohar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sohar 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 14% less than in Sohar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.