Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Umluj and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Umluj: $1,230 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $770 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Umluj
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Umluj Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Umluj

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,230

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Umluj and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Umluj and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Umluj versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Umluj $1,230
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,824 in Umluj versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Umluj $1,824
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,418 in Umluj versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Umluj $2,418
Phuket $3,115

Living in Umluj costs roughly 5% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Umluj 9% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.59 SAR 24.75

$4.39 ฿148

50.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.59 SAR 149

$32.31 ฿1,086

22.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.45 SAR 31.71

$8.70 ฿293

-2.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 SAR 9.55

Cappuccino

$3.45 SAR 12.96

$2.72 ฿91.6

26.84%

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

$0.83 SAR 3.12

$0.93 ฿31.28

-10.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 SAR 1.03

$0.50 ฿16.79

-46.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 SAR 7.21

$1.74 ฿58.5

10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$1.45 ฿48.77

-22.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 SAR 7.60

$1.50 ฿50.5

35.33%

Eggs

$2.48 SAR 9.30

$2.17 ฿73.0

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.36 SAR 23.88

$19.09 ฿642

-66.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 SAR 32.75

$3.40 ฿114

156.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 SAR 53.3

$10.90 ฿366

30.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

$2.94 ฿98.9

-21.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 SAR 7.35

$1.69 ฿56.9

15.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 SAR 5.16

$2.19 ฿73.8

-37.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 SAR 5.26

$2.12 ฿71.4

-33.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 SAR 4.04

$1.46 ฿49.03

-26.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.78

$1.37 ฿45.99

-7.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 SAR 5.28

$1.08 ฿36.17

30.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 SAR 1.82

$0.55 ฿18.34

-12.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.56 SAR 9.61

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SAR 7.40

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.89 SAR 22.10

$4.43 ฿149

32.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 SAR 4.48

$1.45 ฿48.66

-17.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.20 SAR 147

$54.9 ฿1,845

-28.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 SAR 11.11

$1.51 ฿50.9

96.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SAR 5.90

$0.78 ฿26.08

101.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.82 SAR 59.4

$3.84 ฿129

311.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 SAR 1.99

$1.49 ฿50.0

-64.43%

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

$33.3K SAR 125.1K

$26.9K ฿903.7K

23.95%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.8K

$26.3K ฿885.7K

-19.29%

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

$95.4 SAR 358

$97.8 ฿3,288

-2.52%

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

$35.71 SAR 134

$11.29 ฿380

216.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 SAR 260

$17.19 ฿578

303.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.5 SAR 302

$68.3 ฿2,297

17.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$13.83 SAR 51.9

$7.43 ฿250

86.14%

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

$378 SAR 1,420

$530 ฿17.8K

-28.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K SAR 43.4K

$18.8K ฿631.4K

-38.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.21 SAR 162

$61.7 ฿2,073

-29.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 SAR 234

$28.25 ฿950

121.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 SAR 348

$96.0 ฿3,228

-3.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.8 SAR 330

$86.8 ฿2,919

1.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 SAR 2,093

$721 ฿24.2K

-22.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 SAR 1,528

$509 ฿17.1K

-20.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 SAR 3,286

$1,950 ฿65.6K

-55.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 SAR 2,292

$1,397 ฿47.0K

-56.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,201 SAR 8,261

$4,192 ฿140.9K

-47.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,179 SAR 4,426

$3,298 ฿110.9K

-64.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,181 SAR 15.7K

$492 ฿16.5K

750.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.57

-0.54%

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

Last update for Umluj: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Umluj

$407 33.1%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 25% $102

Groceries & Markets

Umluj

$207 16.8%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 29.1% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Umluj

$200 16.3%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 37% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Umluj

$129 10.5%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 4.7% $6

Eating Out

Umluj

$124 10.1%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 3.5% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Umluj

$108 8.8%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 23.1% $25

Getting Around

Umluj

$55 4.5%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 20.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $558 in Umluj and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umluj pays about 8.5 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40 in Umluj vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $207 vs $267, with Umluj cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Umluj

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

06:31 6:31 AM

10:31 10:31 AM

4 h ahead of Umluj

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,757

79,308

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.23 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Umluj Phuket 6,730 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Umluj
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 5% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Umluj is about 8.5 times higher, 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: $558 in Umluj versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $378 in Umluj versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Umluj gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Umluj and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.