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: $1,203 in Umluj versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,846 in Umluj versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,489 in Umluj versus $3,248 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 10% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.57 SAR 24.67

$4.48 ฿150

46.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.50 SAR 167

$45.59 ฿1,521

-2.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.94 SAR 29.83

$8.76 ฿292

-9.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.85

Cappuccino

$3.74 SAR 14.03

$2.97 ฿99.0

25.93%

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

$0.80 SAR 3.00

$0.69 ฿22.90

15.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$0.39 ฿13.04

-25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

$2.15 ฿71.6

-20.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 SAR 3.51

$1.82 ฿60.6

-48.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 SAR 8.56

$2.18 ฿72.9

4.59%

Eggs

$2.44 SAR 9.16

$2.25 ฿75.0

8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.84 SAR 25.67

$20.00 ฿667

-65.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.63 SAR 28.65

$3.63 ฿121

110.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.88 SAR 48.37

$13.56 ฿452

-5.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.46

$3.24 ฿108

-30.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.21

$1.64 ฿54.6

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.47

$2.33 ฿77.8

-26.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

$2.07 ฿69.1

-25.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.69

$1.55 ฿51.6

-19.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$1.46 ฿48.54

-12.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.49

$0.98 ฿32.86

21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.10

$0.48 ฿16.09

16.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.73 SAR 10.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 SAR 26.51

$4.35 ฿145

62.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$1.42 ฿47.28

-23.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.31 SAR 151

$11.57 ฿386

248.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 SAR 10.11

$3.17 ฿106

-15.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 SAR 7.07

$1.03 ฿34.41

82.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.34 SAR 50.1

$13.89 ฿463

-3.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$1.34 ฿44.84

-51.49%

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

$26.5K SAR 99.4K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-4.72%

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

$21.9K SAR 82.4K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-34.27%

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

$107 SAR 402

$123 ฿4,105

-13.09%

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

$34.12 SAR 128

$13.77 ฿459

147.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 SAR 269

$18.33 ฿611

290.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.1 SAR 327

$60.7 ฿2,025

43.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.17 SAR 136

$17.16 ฿573

110.78%

Cinema Ticket

$15.56 SAR 58.4

$8.87 ฿296

75.42%

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

$353 SAR 1,324

$688 ฿22.9K

-48.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,914 SAR 26.0K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-56.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 SAR 225

$59.3 ฿1,978

1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 SAR 224

$34.69 ฿1,157

71.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 SAR 300

$115 ฿3,843

-30.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 SAR 308

$83.8 ฿2,794

-1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 SAR 1,644

$621 ฿20.7K

-29.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 SAR 1,428

$446 ฿14.9K

-14.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 SAR 3,139

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-58.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 SAR 2,331

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-58.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,392 SAR 8,983

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-30.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,226 SAR 4,605

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-51.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,239 SAR 15.9K

$494 ฿16.5K

758.67%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Umluj and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays 759% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Umluj vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $291 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 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 759% 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: $438 in Umluj versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $353 in Umluj versus $688 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 $1,203 in Umluj versus $1,264 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.