Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-jahra' and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-jahra' and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,421 in Al-jahra' versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,427 in Al-jahra' versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Al-jahra' versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Al-jahra' is roughly 12% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-jahra' is 7% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.56 KWD 2.97

$4.48 ฿150

113.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.1 KWD 25.48

$45.59 ฿1,525

80.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 KWD 2.81

$8.76 ฿293

3.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 KWD 0.75

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 KWD 1.17

Cappuccino

$5.84 KWD 1.81

$2.97 ฿99.3

96.63%

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

$0.64 KWD 0.20

$0.69 ฿22.96

-7.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 KWD 0.11

$0.39 ฿13.07

-10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 KWD 0.48

$2.15 ฿71.8

-27.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 KWD 0.40

$1.82 ฿60.7

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 KWD 0.53

$2.18 ฿73.1

-21.10%

Eggs

$2.01 KWD 0.62

$2.25 ฿75.2

-10.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 KWD 1.59

$20.00 ฿669

-74.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.31 KWD 1.96

$3.63 ฿121

73.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.50 KWD 3.26

$13.56 ฿453

-22.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 KWD 0.75

$3.24 ฿109

-25.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 KWD 0.59

$1.64 ฿54.7

17.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 KWD 0.54

$2.33 ฿78.0

-25.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 KWD 0.47

$2.07 ฿69.3

-27.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 KWD 0.38

$1.55 ฿51.8

-21.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 KWD 0.39

$1.46 ฿48.67

-14.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 KWD 0.52

$0.98 ฿32.94

70.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 KWD 0.15

$0.48 ฿16.13

2.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.18 KWD 0.99

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 KWD 0.94

$4.35 ฿146

-30.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 KWD 0.28

$1.42 ฿47.40

-37.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.79 KWD 13.90

$11.57 ฿387

287.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 KWD 1.00

$3.17 ฿106

1.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.29 KWD 1.02

$1.03 ฿34.51

219.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.07 KWD 4.99

$13.89 ฿465

15.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$1.34 ฿44.96

-73.13%

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

$21.6K KWD 6,699

$27.8K ฿929.6K

-22.32%

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

$19.8K KWD 6,130

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-40.82%

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

$20.26 KWD 6.29

$123 ฿4,116

-83.54%

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

$18.72 KWD 5.81

$13.77 ฿461

35.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.17 KWD 8.12

$18.33 ฿613

42.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$199 KWD 61.6

$60.7 ฿2,030

227.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.59 KWD 14.46

$17.16 ฿574

171.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 KWD 3.53

$8.87 ฿297

28.18%

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

$399 KWD 124

$688 ฿23.0K

-41.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,597 KWD 2,047

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-58.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.96 KWD 13.33

$59.3 ฿1,984

-27.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.11 KWD 13.38

$34.69 ฿1,160

24.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 KWD 26.86

$115 ฿3,853

-24.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 KWD 25.04

$83.8 ฿2,802

-3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$784 KWD 243

$621 ฿20.8K

26.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 KWD 187

$446 ฿14.9K

35.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 KWD 493

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-21.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,273 KWD 395

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-14.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,915 KWD 904

$494 ฿16.5K

490.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

5.33

33.96%

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

Last update for Al-jahra': July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $784 in Al-jahra' and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al-jahra' pays 490% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Al-jahra' vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $179 vs $291, with Al-jahra' cheaper for home cooking.

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-jahra' vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 490% higher in Al-jahra', 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: $784 in Al-jahra' versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $399 in Al-jahra' versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Al-jahra' pay roughly 63% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,421 in Al-jahra', a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Al-jahra'. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Al-jahra', and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Al-jahra' 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Al-jahra'. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.