Cost of Living Comparison Between Umm Salal 'ali and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Umm Salal 'ali and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $784 in Umm Salal 'ali versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,346 in Umm Salal 'ali versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,908 in Umm Salal 'ali versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Umm Salal 'ali costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Umm Salal 'ali 43% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 QAR 39.93

$4.41 ฿147

148.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 QAR 268

$32.26 ฿1,074

128.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 QAR 30.71

$8.93 ฿297

-5.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.01 QAR 43.71

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.73 QAR 49.98

Cappuccino

$5.80 QAR 21.11

$2.90 ฿96.4

100.00%

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

$0.93 QAR 3.38

$0.88 ฿29.30

5.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 QAR 1.51

$0.48 ฿16.01

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 QAR 7.92

$1.87 ฿62.1

16.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 QAR 5.34

$1.47 ฿48.81

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 QAR 7.19

$1.55 ฿51.7

27.74%

Eggs

$3.45 QAR 12.55

$2.10 ฿70.0

64.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.25 QAR 40.97

$19.59 ฿652

-42.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.17 QAR 29.72

$3.42 ฿114

138.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.13 QAR 40.52

$11.38 ฿379

-2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 QAR 7.85

$2.98 ฿99.3

-27.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 QAR 6.53

$1.68 ฿56.1

6.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 QAR 5.66

$2.21 ฿73.5

-29.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 QAR 4.44

$2.16 ฿72.0

-43.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 QAR 3.44

$1.52 ฿50.8

-37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 QAR 3.59

$1.34 ฿44.55

-26.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 QAR 5.05

$1.13 ฿37.57

23.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 QAR 2.02

$0.55 ฿18.19

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.83 QAR 35.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 QAR 7.02

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 QAR 8.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.49 QAR 23.64

$4.26 ฿142

52.35%

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)

$2.23 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 QAR 7.21

$3.03 ฿101

-34.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 QAR 7.72

$1.02 ฿34.06

107.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.00 QAR 51.0

$3.89 ฿130

259.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.55 QAR 2.00

$1.49 ฿49.63

-63.09%

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

$27.1K QAR 98.7K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

2.00%

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

$22.0K QAR 80.2K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

-18.49%

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

$88.5 QAR 322

$102 ฿3,411

-13.59%

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

$35.24 QAR 128

$11.33 ฿377

211.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.1 QAR 310

$17.40 ฿579

389.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$12.42 QAR 45.21

$7.69 ฿256

61.51%

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

$682 QAR 2,484

$561 ฿18.7K

21.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K QAR 37.0K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-11.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 QAR 218

$63.0 ฿2,098

-4.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 QAR 187

$29.52 ฿983

74.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 QAR 380

$98.0 ฿3,263

6.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 QAR 315

$88.5 ฿2,946

-2.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

5.57

5.57%

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

Last update for Umm Salal 'ali: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $74.0 in Umm Salal 'ali vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $274, with Umm Salal 'ali 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

Umm Salal 'ali vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Umm Salal 'ali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,176 in Umm Salal 'ali and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $682 in Umm Salal 'ali versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Umm Salal 'ali – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $784 in Umm Salal 'ali versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Umm Salal 'ali but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Umm Salal 'ali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Umm Salal 'ali 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, Umm Salal 'ali 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 Umm Salal 'ali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.