Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Fujayrah and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,206 in Al Fujayrah, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Al Fujayrah
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Al Fujayrah Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Al Fujayrah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$3,206

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,206 per month in Al Fujayrah vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Al Fujayrah $3,206
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $4,790 per month in Al Fujayrah vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Al Fujayrah $4,790
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $6,373 per month in Al Fujayrah vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Al Fujayrah $6,373
Phuket $3,154

Al Fujayrah costs about 151% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Al Fujayrah sits 136% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.96 AED 29.22

$4.47 ฿151

78.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 AED 220

$32.41 ฿1,094

84.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.74 AED 35.76

$8.81 ฿297

10.56%

Cappuccino

$5.81 AED 21.34

$2.83 ฿95.4

105.30%

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

$1.42 AED 5.20

$0.87 ฿29.42

63.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 AED 2.21

$0.49 ฿16.66

22.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.72 AED 50.4

$2.56 ฿86.3

435.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.88 AED 51.0

$3.68 ฿124

277.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 AED 6.76

$1.66 ฿56.0

10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 AED 4.27

$1.46 ฿49.32

-20.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 AED 9.24

$1.50 ฿50.5

68.00%

Eggs

$3.52 AED 12.93

$2.09 ฿70.5

68.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.50 AED 20.19

$19.07 ฿643

-71.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 AED 19.19

$3.30 ฿111

58.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 AED 28.57

$10.91 ฿368

-28.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 AED 6.34

$2.93 ฿98.9

-40.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 AED 4.90

$1.69 ฿57.0

-21.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 AED 4.76

$2.25 ฿75.8

-42.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 AED 5.20

$2.08 ฿70.1

-31.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 AED 3.62

$1.51 ฿51.0

-34.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 AED 3.84

$1.38 ฿46.54

-23.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 AED 4.05

$1.07 ฿35.97

2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 AED 2.43

$0.52 ฿17.51

26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 AED 23.46

$4.20 ฿142

52.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.41 AED 60.3

$18.79 ฿634

-12.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 AED 9.63

$1.82 ฿61.5

43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 AED 11.03

$2.84 ฿95.9

5.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 AED 10.57

$1.45 ฿49.00

98.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.16 AED 59.3

$56.7 ฿1,912

-71.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 AED 10.19

$3.02 ฿102

-8.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 AED 1.04

$1.02 ฿34.34

-72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 AED 9.90

$3.69 ฿125

-27.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 AED 2.86

$1.47 ฿49.78

-46.94%

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

$26.3K AED 96.7K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

-1.62%

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

$22.0K AED 80.7K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-17.70%

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

$239 AED 878

$96.4 ฿3,252

148.26%

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

$44.28 AED 163

$11.26 ฿380

293.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.6 AED 336

$16.85 ฿569

443.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.6 AED 355

$67.2 ฿2,269

43.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.57 AED 109

$10.73 ฿362

175.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 AED 36.55

$7.50 ฿253

32.67%

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

$275 AED 1,009

$476 ฿16.1K

-42.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,443 AED 16.3K

$11.3K ฿380.1K

-60.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.39 AED 108

$62.4 ฿2,105

-52.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 AED 202

$28.41 ฿959

93.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 AED 378

$94.3 ฿3,182

9.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 AED 297

$85.8 ฿2,896

-5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,379 AED 8,739

$716 ฿24.2K

232.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 AED 7,628

$491 ฿16.6K

323.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,048 AED 18.5K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

161.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,064 AED 14.9K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

184.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,673 AED 13.5K

$502 ฿17.0K

631.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-64.09%

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

Last update for Al Fujayrah: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Fujayrah

$2.1K 64.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 76.4% $1.6K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Fujayrah

$375 11.7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 66.8% $251

Eating Out

Al Fujayrah

$267 8.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 54.4% $145

Groceries & Markets

Al Fujayrah

$218 6.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 21.9% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Al Fujayrah

$121 3.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 1% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Al Fujayrah

$116 3.6%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 29.4% $34

Getting Around

Al Fujayrah

$32 1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 122% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,379 in Al Fujayrah versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Al Fujayrah are about 7.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Al Fujayrah versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $218 in Al Fujayrah vs $266 in Phuket – so Al Fujayrah wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Al Fujayrah

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:43 2:43 PM

17:43 5:43 PM

3 h ahead of Al Fujayrah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

118,933

79,308

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.1 AED (1 AED = 0.244 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al Fujayrah Phuket 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Al Fujayrah
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

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

Al Fujayrah costs about 151% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,810 per month in Al Fujayrah and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $2,379 in Al Fujayrah.

Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Al Fujayrah and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Al Fujayrah – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Al Fujayrah at $3,206. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Al Fujayrah 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 $1,278 in Phuket to $3,206 in Al Fujayrah. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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