Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-birah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-birah and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,093 per month in Al-birah vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,896 per month in Al-birah vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,699 per month in Al-birah vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Al-birah is about 11% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Al-birah and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Al-birah 18% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.44 ₪28.12

$4.63 ฿151

103.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.04 ₪125

$46.84 ฿1,532

-10.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 ₪33.02

$8.84 ฿289

25.34%

Cappuccino

$3.77 ₪11.22

$3.00 ฿98.0

25.67%

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

$0.80 ₪2.38

$0.74 ฿24.25

8.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₪1.80

$0.37 ฿11.95

62.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 ₪16.66

$2.44 ฿79.8

129.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 ₪16.90

$3.61 ฿118

57.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₪5.99

$2.26 ฿73.9

-11.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₪1.60

$1.84 ฿60.1

-70.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 ₪7.83

$2.24 ฿73.4

17.41%

Eggs

$2.16 ₪6.43

$2.32 ฿75.7

-6.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 ₪18.99

$19.67 ฿643

-67.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.51 ₪19.40

$3.65 ฿119

78.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 ₪46.74

$13.10 ฿428

19.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ₪7.56

$3.39 ฿111

-25.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ₪4.23

$1.64 ฿53.7

-13.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 ₪4.28

$2.41 ฿79.0

-40.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 ₪5.79

$2.03 ฿66.4

-4.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ₪3.23

$1.56 ฿50.9

-30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ₪4.10

$1.50 ฿48.94

-8.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ₪4.15

$1.02 ฿33.50

36.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ₪2.43

$0.49 ฿16.00

67.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.40 ₪22.05

$4.45 ฿145

66.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₪8.27

$1.78 ฿58.1

56.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₪7.46

$2.75 ฿90.1

-9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₪3.00

$1.40 ฿45.81

-27.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 ₪171

$11.48 ฿376

400.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 ₪8.54

$3.12 ฿102

-8.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 ₪3.92

$1.00 ฿32.67

32.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.83 ₪41.20

$14.09 ฿461

-1.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 ₪5.73

$1.35 ฿44.19

42.22%

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

$36.0K ₪107.2K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

32.38%

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

$45.8K ₪136.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

39.09%

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

$83.8 ₪250

$125 ฿4,087

-32.96%

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

$18.53 ₪55.2

$13.57 ฿444

36.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.19 ₪141

$18.52 ฿606

154.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 ₪171

$61.5 ฿2,010

-6.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.97 ₪83.4

$16.84 ฿551

66.09%

Cinema Ticket

$8.61 ₪25.65

$9.19 ฿300

-6.31%

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

$210 ₪626

$698 ฿22.8K

-69.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,832 ₪11.4K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-75.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.63 ₪124

$57.8 ฿1,889

-27.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.82 ₪113

$35.24 ฿1,152

7.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.6 ₪166

$113 ฿3,699

-50.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.58 ₪124

$86.4 ฿2,825

-51.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₪1,067

$616 ฿20.1K

-41.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ₪953

$446 ฿14.6K

-28.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 ₪2,491

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-59.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 ₪2,824

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-36.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

5.33

5.44%

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

Last update for Al-birah: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $358 in Al-birah versus $616 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Al-birah versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $220 vs $292 – making Al-birah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Al-birah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,093 in Al-birah, $1,232 in Phuket – roughly 13% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,639 per month in Al-birah and $1,847 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-birah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Al-birah and $47.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-birah, where all-in costs run around $1,093, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Al-birah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,093 in Al-birah to $1,232 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al-birah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.