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: $1,457 in Sohar versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Sohar versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,747 in Sohar versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Sohar is roughly 18% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sohar is 7% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.66 OMR 2.56

$4.41 ฿147

51.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.02 OMR 8.09

$32.26 ฿1,077

-34.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 OMR 3.58

$8.93 ฿298

4.03%

Cappuccino

$4.94 OMR 1.90

$2.90 ฿96.6

70.34%

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

$0.65 OMR 0.25

$0.88 ฿29.38

-26.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 OMR 0.12

$0.48 ฿16.06

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.96 OMR 4.99

$2.35 ฿78.5

451.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.14 OMR 5.45

$3.72 ฿124

280.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 OMR 0.82

$1.87 ฿62.3

13.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 OMR 0.41

$1.47 ฿48.94

-27.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 OMR 1.27

$1.55 ฿51.8

113.55%

Eggs

$2.81 OMR 1.08

$2.10 ฿70.1

33.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 OMR 5.12

$19.59 ฿654

-32.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 OMR 3.53

$3.42 ฿114

168.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.54 OMR 5.60

$11.38 ฿380

27.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 OMR 1.28

$2.98 ฿99.6

11.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 OMR 0.82

$1.68 ฿56.2

26.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 OMR 0.99

$2.21 ฿73.7

16.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 OMR 0.45

$2.16 ฿72.1

-45.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 OMR 0.68

$1.52 ฿50.9

16.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 OMR 0.70

$1.34 ฿44.67

35.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 OMR 0.63

$1.13 ฿37.67

45.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 OMR 0.37

$0.55 ฿18.24

76.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 OMR 2.24

$4.26 ฿142

36.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$26.21 OMR 10.09

$19.09 ฿637

37.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.92 OMR 1.51

$1.78 ฿59.4

120.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.62 OMR 3.32

$2.78 ฿92.9

210.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 OMR 1.01

$2.23 ฿74.4

17.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 OMR 20.15

$22.74 ฿759

130.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 OMR 1.22

$3.03 ฿101

4.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 OMR 0.61

$1.02 ฿34.15

54.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.43 OMR 4.02

$3.89 ฿130

168.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 OMR 0.25

$1.49 ฿49.77

-57.05%

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

$18.5K OMR 7,141

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-30.22%

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

$20.2K OMR 7,791

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-25.13%

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

$104 OMR 40.10

$102 ฿3,420

1.65%

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

$29.82 OMR 11.48

$11.33 ฿378

163.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.4 OMR 33.64

$17.40 ฿581

402.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.20 OMR 18.94

$52.1 ฿1,738

-5.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$11.48 OMR 4.42

$7.69 ฿257

49.28%

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

$296 OMR 114

$561 ฿18.7K

-47.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,085 OMR 2,728

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-38.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 OMR 20.02

$63.0 ฿2,104

-17.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.88 OMR 16.89

$29.52 ฿986

48.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 OMR 30.84

$98.0 ฿3,272

-18.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.55 OMR 17.92

$88.5 ฿2,954

-47.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 OMR 190

$738 ฿24.6K

-33.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 OMR 145

$482 ฿16.1K

-21.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 OMR 307

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-62.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 OMR 262

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-44.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,157 OMR 445

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-68.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 OMR 304

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-69.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,428 OMR 935

$494 ฿16.5K

391.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

5.57

13.64%

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

Last update for Sohar: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $494 in Sohar and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sohar pays 392% 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 $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $274, 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 392% 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: $494 in Sohar versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $296 in Sohar versus $561 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 Sohar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,457 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 18% less than in Sohar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.