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: $1,168 in Umluj versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,752 in Umluj versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,336 in Umluj versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Umluj costs roughly 5% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Umluj 15% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.71 SAR 25.22

$4.41 ฿147

52.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.73 SAR 138

$32.26 ฿1,074

13.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 SAR 30.30

$8.93 ฿297

-9.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.87

Cappuccino

$3.48 SAR 13.06

$2.90 ฿96.4

20.00%

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

$0.90 SAR 3.38

$0.88 ฿29.30

2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$0.48 ฿16.01

-45.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SAR 6.26

$1.87 ฿62.1

-10.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 SAR 4.34

$1.47 ฿48.81

-21.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.11

$1.55 ฿51.7

39.35%

Eggs

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$2.10 ฿70.0

13.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.34 SAR 27.58

$19.59 ฿652

-62.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 SAR 30.01

$3.42 ฿114

133.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 SAR 48.77

$11.38 ฿379

14.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

$2.98 ฿99.3

-30.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.68 ฿56.1

1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

$2.21 ฿73.5

-28.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.14

$2.16 ฿72.0

-24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 SAR 4.28

$1.52 ฿50.8

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$1.34 ฿44.55

-2.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 SAR 4.27

$1.13 ฿37.57

0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.06

$0.55 ฿18.19

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.87 SAR 10.80

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 SAR 24.30

$4.26 ฿142

51.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.96

$2.23 ฿74.2

-52.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.76 SAR 134

$22.74 ฿757

57.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 SAR 11.14

$3.03 ฿101

-2.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

$1.02 ฿34.06

79.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.29 SAR 49.91

$3.89 ฿130

241.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$1.49 ฿49.63

-56.38%

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

$45.8K SAR 172.1K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

72.37%

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

$21.7K SAR 81.5K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

-19.75%

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

$98.6 SAR 371

$102 ฿3,411

-3.74%

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

$32.02 SAR 120

$11.33 ฿377

182.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 SAR 256

$17.40 ฿579

291.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.1 SAR 316

$52.1 ฿1,734

61.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.21 SAR 140

$11.07 ฿369

236.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 SAR 49.10

$7.69 ฿256

69.96%

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

$341 SAR 1,279

$561 ฿18.7K

-39.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,614 SAR 24.8K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-42.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.91 SAR 187

$63.0 ฿2,098

-20.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 SAR 219

$29.52 ฿983

97.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 SAR 364

$98.0 ฿3,263

-1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.9 SAR 330

$88.5 ฿2,946

-0.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 SAR 2,210

$738 ฿24.6K

-20.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 SAR 1,311

$482 ฿16.1K

-27.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$883 SAR 3,315

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-58.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$553 SAR 2,078

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-54.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,391 SAR 8,982

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-33.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,395 SAR 5,240

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-46.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,205 SAR 15.8K

$494 ฿16.4K

751.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

5.57

-1.80%

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

Last update for Umluj: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $588 in Umluj and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays 752% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Umluj vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $200 vs $274, with Umluj 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

Umluj vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umluj is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 752% higher in Umluj, 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: $588 in Umluj versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $341 in Umluj 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 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,168 in Umluj versus $1,232 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 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.