Cost of Living Comparison Between Umluj and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Umluj and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Umluj versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Umluj versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,449 in Umluj versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Umluj costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Umluj 9% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 SAR 24.70

$4.51 ฿147

45.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.13 SAR 169

$46.62 ฿1,515

-3.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 SAR 30.48

$8.49 ฿276

-4.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Cappuccino

$3.58 SAR 13.42

$3.08 ฿100

16.23%

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

$0.79 SAR 2.98

$0.68 ฿22.07

16.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.18

$0.36 ฿11.75

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

$2.19 ฿71.1

-25.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 SAR 3.68

$1.81 ฿59.0

-45.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 SAR 8.98

$2.23 ฿72.5

7.17%

Eggs

$2.52 SAR 9.44

$2.24 ฿72.7

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.95 SAR 26.09

$19.60 ฿637

-64.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.37 SAR 27.64

$3.72 ฿121

98.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 SAR 49.36

$13.47 ฿438

-2.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 SAR 8.56

$3.36 ฿109

-32.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.21

$1.62 ฿52.5

2.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

$2.41 ฿78.3

-27.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

$1.99 ฿64.6

-22.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.78

$1.53 ฿49.76

-16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.94

$1.45 ฿47.19

-8.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 SAR 4.41

$1.01 ฿32.96

15.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.05

$0.48 ฿15.73

14.58%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.06

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.18 SAR 26.96

$4.27 ฿139

68.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.07

$1.42 ฿46.06

-23.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.13 SAR 151

$11.72 ฿381

242.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 SAR 9.77

$3.00 ฿97.6

-13.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.15

$1.05 ฿34.00

80.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.17 SAR 49.44

$13.90 ฿452

-5.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$1.29 ฿41.94

-51.16%

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

$27.2K SAR 101.9K

$28.0K ฿911.1K

-3.10%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-33.68%

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

$106 SAR 399

$122 ฿3,964

-12.91%

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

$34.23 SAR 128

$13.93 ฿453

145.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 SAR 274

$18.87 ฿613

286.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.8 SAR 326

$61.3 ฿1,992

41.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.20 SAR 132

$16.84 ฿547

109.03%

Cinema Ticket

$15.41 SAR 57.8

$8.89 ฿289

73.34%

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

$356 SAR 1,334

$691 ฿22.5K

-48.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,995 SAR 26.2K

$16.2K ฿525.2K

-56.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 SAR 223

$57.8 ฿1,878

3.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 SAR 224

$35.39 ฿1,150

68.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 SAR 293

$113 ฿3,685

-31.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 SAR 309

$83.0 ฿2,698

-0.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,652

$607 ฿19.7K

-27.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 SAR 1,426

$448 ฿14.6K

-15.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$840 SAR 3,151

$2,029 ฿66.0K

-58.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 SAR 2,312

$1,493 ฿48.5K

-58.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,338 SAR 8,775

$3,585 ฿116.5K

-34.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,315 SAR 4,934

$2,585 ฿84.0K

-49.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,252 SAR 16.0K

$505 ฿16.4K

742.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

5.33

-17.07%

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

Last update for Umluj: June 16, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Umluj and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays 743% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Umluj vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $292 per month, with Umluj 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

Umluj vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umluj is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Umluj pays 743% 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: $440 in Umluj versus $607 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $356 in Umluj versus $691 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,208 in Umluj versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Umluj but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Umluj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Umluj is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Umluj 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 Umluj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.