Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ad Dammam and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Ad Dammam: $1,217 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $730 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Ad Dammam
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Ad Dammam Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,217

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ad Dammam 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 Ad Dammam and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,217 in Ad Dammam versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Ad Dammam $1,217
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,838 in Ad Dammam versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Ad Dammam $1,838
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,460 in Ad Dammam versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Ad Dammam $2,460
Phuket $3,154

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Ad Dammam 11% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.12 SAR 26.74

$4.47 ฿151

59.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.16 SAR 128

$32.41 ฿1,094

5.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 SAR 25.60

$8.81 ฿297

-22.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.17

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SAR 8.45

Cappuccino

$3.02 SAR 11.33

$2.83 ฿95.4

6.71%

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

$0.78 SAR 2.94

$0.87 ฿29.42

-10.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 SAR 0.63

$0.49 ฿16.66

-65.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SAR 6.51

$1.66 ฿56.0

4.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$1.46 ฿49.32

-11.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 SAR 7.29

$1.50 ฿50.5

29.33%

Eggs

$2.18 SAR 8.20

$2.09 ฿70.5

4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.60 SAR 28.53

$19.07 ฿643

-60.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.83 SAR 29.37

$3.30 ฿111

137.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.77 SAR 47.92

$10.91 ฿368

17.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 SAR 8.33

$2.93 ฿98.9

-24.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

$1.69 ฿57.0

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.15

$2.25 ฿75.8

-27.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$2.08 ฿70.1

-24.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$1.51 ฿51.0

-25.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 SAR 4.35

$1.38 ฿46.54

-15.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$1.07 ฿35.97

24.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 SAR 2.31

$0.52 ฿17.51

19.23%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SAR 5.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.58 SAR 28.46

$4.20 ฿142

80.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 SAR 3.41

$1.45 ฿49.00

-37.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.54 SAR 145

$56.7 ฿1,912

-31.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 SAR 10.27

$3.02 ฿102

-9.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

$1.02 ฿34.34

168.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.10 SAR 49.16

$3.69 ฿125

255.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$1.47 ฿49.78

-56.46%

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

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

8.58%

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

$21.5K SAR 80.5K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-19.61%

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

$131 SAR 493

$96.4 ฿3,252

36.25%

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

$32.48 SAR 122

$11.26 ฿380

188.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 SAR 236

$16.85 ฿569

273.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 SAR 273

$67.2 ฿2,269

8.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.56 SAR 107

$10.73 ฿362

166.17%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 SAR 50.8

$7.50 ฿253

80.53%

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

$416 SAR 1,560

$476 ฿16.1K

-12.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,051 SAR 30.2K

$11.3K ฿380.1K

-28.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.09 SAR 158

$62.4 ฿2,105

-32.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 SAR 189

$28.41 ฿959

77.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 SAR 361

$94.3 ฿3,182

1.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.6 SAR 348

$85.8 ฿2,896

7.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 SAR 2,008

$716 ฿24.2K

-25.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 SAR 1,450

$491 ฿16.6K

-21.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 SAR 3,641

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-49.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 SAR 2,513

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-53.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$962 SAR 3,611

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-76.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 SAR 2,653

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-76.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,475 SAR 5,537

$502 ฿17.0K

193.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.57

5.92%

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

Last update for Ad Dammam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ad Dammam

$386 31.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 27% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ad Dammam

$227 18.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 45.1% $102

Groceries & Markets

Ad Dammam

$201 16.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 32.3% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Ad Dammam

$127 10.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 3.7% $4.7

Eating Out

Ad Dammam

$117 9.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 3.6% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Ad Dammam

$100 8.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 17.7% $18

Getting Around

Ad Dammam

$59 4.8%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 20.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $535 in Ad Dammam and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ad Dammam pays about 2.9 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34 in Ad Dammam vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $201 vs $266, with Ad Dammam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

09:38 9:38 AM

4 h ahead of Ad Dammam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

903,312

79,308

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ad Dammam Phuket 5,490 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ad Dammam
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

Ad Dammam vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ad Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Ad Dammam is about 2.9 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: $535 in Ad Dammam versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,217 per month in Ad Dammam versus $1,278 in Phuket – Ad Dammam is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ad Dammam runs roughly 32% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ad Dammam is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Ad Dammam and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.