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: $1,237 in Umluj versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,848 in Umluj versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,460 in Umluj versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Monthly costs are close between Umluj and Phuket; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 SAR 24.68

$4.63 ฿151

42.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.36 SAR 170

$46.84 ฿1,532

-3.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 SAR 30.78

$8.84 ฿289

-7.13%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 SAR 6.71

Cappuccino

$3.75 SAR 14.08

$3.00 ฿98.0

25.00%

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

$0.80 SAR 2.99

$0.74 ฿24.25

8.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.18

$0.37 ฿11.95

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$2.26 ฿73.9

-24.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 SAR 3.55

$1.84 ฿60.1

-48.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.86

$2.24 ฿73.4

5.36%

Eggs

$2.48 SAR 9.31

$2.32 ฿75.7

6.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.76 SAR 25.35

$19.67 ฿643

-65.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 SAR 27.44

$3.65 ฿119

100.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 SAR 49.64

$13.10 ฿428

1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.51

$3.39 ฿111

-33.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$1.64 ฿53.7

-1.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.28

$2.41 ฿79.0

-30.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.03

$2.03 ฿66.4

-20.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$1.56 ฿50.9

-17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$1.50 ฿48.94

-14.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 SAR 4.40

$1.02 ฿33.50

14.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$0.49 ฿16.00

12.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.22 SAR 12.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.36

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 SAR 26.75

$4.45 ฿145

60.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$1.40 ฿45.81

-24.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.24 SAR 147

$11.48 ฿376

241.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$3.12 ฿102

-13.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.00 ฿32.67

90.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.40 SAR 50.3

$14.09 ฿461

-4.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$1.35 ฿44.19

-55.56%

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

$26.3K SAR 98.7K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-3.22%

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

$22.7K SAR 85.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-31.06%

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

$106 SAR 398

$125 ฿4,087

-15.01%

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

$33.78 SAR 127

$13.57 ฿444

148.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.8 SAR 273

$18.52 ฿606

293.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.6 SAR 332

$61.5 ฿2,010

44.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.32 SAR 136

$16.84 ฿551

115.68%

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 SAR 59.3

$9.19 ฿300

72.03%

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

$350 SAR 1,312

$698 ฿22.8K

-49.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,866 SAR 25.7K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-55.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 SAR 219

$57.8 ฿1,889

1.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.9 SAR 225

$35.24 ฿1,152

70.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 SAR 302

$113 ฿3,699

-28.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 SAR 305

$86.4 ฿2,825

-5.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,649

$616 ฿20.1K

-28.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 SAR 1,456

$446 ฿14.6K

-12.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$861 SAR 3,229

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-57.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 SAR 2,372

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-57.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,328 SAR 8,731

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-38.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,358 SAR 5,093

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-48.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,303 SAR 16.1K

$524 ฿17.1K

721.39%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Umluj and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays 721% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $45.00 in Umluj vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 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 pays 721% 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 $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $350 in Umluj versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $45.00 in Umluj. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,237 in Umluj, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Umluj. 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 Umluj, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Umluj on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.