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: $1,441 in Sohar versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,151 in Sohar versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,862 in Sohar versus $3,329 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Sohar is 8% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.53 OMR 2.51

$4.70 ฿154

38.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.05 OMR 8.10

$45.37 ฿1,483

-53.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 OMR 3.41

$8.43 ฿276

5.22%

Cappuccino

$6.62 OMR 2.55

$2.93 ฿95.7

125.94%

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

$0.65 OMR 0.25

$0.69 ฿22.42

-5.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 OMR 0.10

$0.37 ฿12.00

-27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.74 OMR 4.91

$2.41 ฿78.7

428.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.10 OMR 5.43

$3.72 ฿122

279.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 OMR 0.86

$2.23 ฿73.0

0.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 OMR 0.43

$1.83 ฿59.9

-39.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 OMR 1.24

$2.17 ฿70.9

48.39%

Eggs

$2.82 OMR 1.09

$2.21 ฿72.4

27.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 OMR 5.23

$19.74 ฿645

-31.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 OMR 3.58

$3.63 ฿119

156.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.40 OMR 5.54

$13.53 ฿442

6.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 OMR 1.24

$3.28 ฿107

-2.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 OMR 0.81

$1.61 ฿52.7

31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 OMR 0.98

$2.41 ฿78.7

5.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 OMR 0.46

$2.08 ฿68.1

-43.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 OMR 0.67

$1.53 ฿49.97

13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 OMR 0.72

$1.48 ฿48.41

25.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 OMR 0.66

$0.99 ฿32.32

73.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 OMR 0.38

$0.51 ฿16.68

94.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 OMR 2.36

$4.41 ฿144

39.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$26.43 OMR 10.18

$19.38 ฿634

36.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 OMR 1.54

$1.78 ฿58.1

124.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.47 OMR 3.26

$2.71 ฿88.7

212.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 OMR 1.02

$1.37 ฿44.83

94.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.9 OMR 20.00

$11.39 ฿372

356.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 OMR 1.21

$3.02 ฿98.7

4.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 OMR 0.59

$0.99 ฿32.51

54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.51 OMR 4.05

$14.10 ฿461

-25.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 OMR 0.23

$1.36 ฿44.55

-55.88%

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

$18.1K OMR 6,963

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-35.87%

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

$20.8K OMR 8,000

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-36.85%

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

$101 OMR 38.93

$122 ฿3,978

-16.91%

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

$29.04 OMR 11.18

$13.57 ฿444

114.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.4 OMR 33.63

$18.31 ฿599

377.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 OMR 19.86

$60.2 ฿1,969

-14.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 OMR 4.54

$8.69 ฿284

35.56%

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

$269 OMR 104

$693 ฿22.7K

-61.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,119 OMR 2,741

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-54.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 OMR 19.88

$59.5 ฿1,946

-13.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.42 OMR 16.72

$34.77 ฿1,137

24.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 OMR 30.14

$115 ฿3,746

-31.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.95 OMR 18.08

$83.3 ฿2,723

-43.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 OMR 187

$613 ฿20.0K

-20.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 OMR 149

$437 ฿14.3K

-11.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 OMR 290

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-64.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 OMR 257

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-55.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,154 OMR 444

$3,749 ฿122.6K

-69.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$774 OMR 298

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-70.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,455 OMR 945

$508 ฿16.6K

383.19%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Sohar and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sohar pays 383% 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 $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $293, 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.

Sohar pays 383% 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: $485 in Sohar versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Sohar versus $693 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 $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,441 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.