🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $233 in Umm Salal Mohammed versus $1,261 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $390 in Umm Salal Mohammed versus $2,286 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $546 in Umm Salal Mohammed versus $3,310 in Phuket.
🙂Living in Umm Salal Mohammed costs roughly 82% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Umm Salal Mohammed83% lower, Phuket6% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Umm Salal Mohammed
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$4.56฿149
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$46.63฿1,519
-
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
-
$8.47฿276
-
Cappuccino
-
$3.03฿98.6
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.69฿22.45
-
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.37฿11.92
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.49฿81.0
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.66฿119
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Umm Salal Mohammed
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.23QAR 8.13
$2.18฿71.0
2.29%
White Bread(500g)
$1.48QAR 5.39
$1.90฿62.0
-22.11%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.62QAR 9.53
$2.20฿71.6
19.09%
Eggs
$2.70QAR 9.83
$2.22฿72.4
21.62%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.16QAR 29.71
$19.99฿651
-59.18%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.93QAR 17.93
$3.66฿119
34.70%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.45QAR 34.39
$13.25฿432
-28.68%
Apples(1kg)
$1.89QAR 6.87
$3.23฿105
-41.49%
Banana(1kg)
$1.49QAR 5.43
$1.70฿55.3
-12.35%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.11QAR 4.06
$2.39฿78.0
-53.56%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.31QAR 8.42
$2.08฿67.7
11.06%
Potato(1kg)
$0.79QAR 2.87
$1.59฿51.8
-50.31%
Onion(1kg)
$1.62QAR 5.90
$1.48฿48.31
9.46%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.90QAR 6.92
$1.03฿33.54
84.47%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.43QAR 1.55
$0.52฿16.83
-17.31%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$12.60QAR 45.87
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.46QAR 5.32
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$5.86QAR 21.33
$4.25฿138
37.88%
Wine(Bottle)
-
$18.79฿612
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.76฿57.2
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.76฿89.8
-
🚌 Getting Around
Umm Salal Mohammed
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.12QAR 4.08
$1.36฿44.32
-17.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$32.88QAR 120
$11.36฿370
189.44%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.19QAR 7.96
$3.14฿102
-30.25%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
-
$1.04฿33.74
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$5.85QAR 21.30
$13.77฿448
-57.52%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.60QAR 2.19
$1.34฿43.79
-55.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$27.7K฿901.4K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.5KQAR 74.6K
$33.9K฿1.1M
-39.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Umm Salal Mohammed
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
-
$124฿4,025
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$13.52฿440
-
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$18.69฿609
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Umm Salal Mohammed
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
-
$61.8฿2,013
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.25฿562
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$9.14฿298
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Umm Salal Mohammed
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
-
$703฿22.9K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
-
$15.9K฿517.0K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Umm Salal Mohammed
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$59.5฿1,937
-
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$35.07฿1,142
-
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
-
$115฿3,754
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$84.1฿2,737
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Umm Salal Mohammed
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$619฿20.1K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$433฿14.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$2,062฿67.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$1,511฿49.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,646฿118.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,626฿85.5K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Umm Salal Mohammed
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$507฿16.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
0
5.33
-
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Umm Salal Mohammed: June 8, 2026
Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026
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 Mohammed vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Umm Salal Mohammed?
Umm Salal Mohammed is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 442% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $349 in Umm Salal Mohammed and $1,892 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.
How do food prices compare in Umm Salal Mohammed and Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Umm Salal Mohammed runs roughly 189% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for Umm Salal Mohammed or Phuket?
At $233 in Umm Salal Mohammed versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Umm Salal Mohammed but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Umm Salal Mohammed the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Umm Salal Mohammed or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Umm Salal Mohammed 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.
Which city is safer, Umm Salal Mohammed or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Umm Salal Mohammed 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Umm Salal Mohammed gentler on the wallet – expenses run 442% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Umm Salal Mohammed vs other spots: cost of living compared