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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,882 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,542 in Al-hawiyah versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 3% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-hawiyah 9% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.84 SAR 25.66

$4.70 ฿153

45.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.30 SAR 166

$45.37 ฿1,482

-2.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.80 SAR 29.27

$8.43 ฿275

-7.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.92

Cappuccino

$3.61 SAR 13.54

$2.93 ฿95.6

23.21%

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

$0.80 SAR 3.02

$0.69 ฿22.40

15.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$0.37 ฿11.99

-21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

$2.23 ฿72.9

-24.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SAR 3.60

$1.83 ฿59.8

-47.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.52

$2.17 ฿70.8

4.61%

Eggs

$2.42 SAR 9.09

$2.21 ฿72.3

9.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.73 SAR 25.27

$19.74 ฿645

-65.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.61 SAR 28.55

$3.63 ฿119

109.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.06 SAR 49.00

$13.53 ฿442

-3.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.58

$3.28 ฿107

-30.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.61 ฿52.6

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$2.41 ฿78.6

-29.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

$2.08 ฿68.1

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$1.53 ฿49.93

-15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.75

$1.48 ฿48.36

-14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 SAR 4.49

$0.99 ฿32.29

21.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.08

$0.51 ฿16.67

7.84%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.67 SAR 10.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 SAR 25.88

$4.41 ฿144

56.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.37 ฿44.79

-23.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.44 SAR 152

$11.39 ฿372

255.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 SAR 10.02

$3.02 ฿98.6

-11.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.12

$0.99 ฿32.48

91.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.34 SAR 50.1

$14.10 ฿461

-5.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$1.36 ฿44.51

-52.21%

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

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-5.62%

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

$22.1K SAR 83.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-32.68%

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

$106 SAR 397

$122 ฿3,975

-13.15%

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

$34.27 SAR 129

$13.57 ฿443

152.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 SAR 277

$18.31 ฿598

302.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.6 SAR 325

$60.2 ฿1,967

43.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.20 SAR 136

$17.14 ฿560

111.20%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 SAR 59.9

$8.69 ฿284

83.66%

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

$350 SAR 1,313

$693 ฿22.6K

-49.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,922 SAR 26.0K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-55.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 SAR 222

$59.5 ฿1,944

-0.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 SAR 231

$34.77 ฿1,136

76.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 SAR 292

$115 ฿3,743

-32.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 SAR 310

$83.3 ฿2,720

-0.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 SAR 1,627

$613 ฿20.0K

-29.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 SAR 1,405

$437 ฿14.3K

-14.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 SAR 3,252

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-58.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 SAR 2,346

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-58.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,091 SAR 7,846

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-44.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,170 SAR 4,390

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-55.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

5.33

-17.07%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Al-hawiyah and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $293 per month, with Al-hawiyah cheaper across the board.

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-hawiyah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-hawiyah and Phuket differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,222 vs $1,265 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,833 in Al-hawiyah and $1,898 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $433 in Al-hawiyah versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,222 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,222 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Al-hawiyah 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 Al-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.