Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,323 in Al Khobar versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,104 in Al Khobar versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,885 in Al Khobar versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 5% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al Khobar 1% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 SAR 24.31

$4.48 ฿150

44.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.2 SAR 200

$45.59 ฿1,521

16.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.78 SAR 29.21

$8.76 ฿292

-11.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 SAR 7.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 SAR 9.92

Cappuccino

$4.38 SAR 16.45

$2.97 ฿99.0

47.47%

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

$1.02 SAR 3.84

$0.69 ฿22.90

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.92

$0.39 ฿13.04

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$2.15 ฿71.6

-18.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 SAR 5.22

$1.82 ฿60.6

-23.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 SAR 9.01

$2.18 ฿72.9

10.09%

Eggs

$2.83 SAR 10.62

$2.25 ฿75.0

25.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.64 SAR 24.92

$20.00 ฿667

-66.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 SAR 33.60

$3.63 ฿121

146.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.73 SAR 47.82

$13.56 ฿452

-6.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 SAR 9.52

$3.24 ฿108

-21.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.64 ฿54.6

6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 SAR 8.09

$2.33 ฿77.8

-7.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.90

$2.07 ฿69.1

-24.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 SAR 5.33

$1.55 ฿51.6

-8.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.24

$1.46 ฿48.54

13.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SAR 6.43

$0.98 ฿32.86

74.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.19

$0.48 ฿16.09

20.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.61 SAR 9.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SAR 5.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 SAR 7.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 SAR 24.86

$4.35 ฿145

52.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 SAR 3.60

$1.42 ฿47.28

-32.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 SAR 231

$11.57 ฿386

432.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$3.17 ฿106

-29.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 SAR 4.93

$1.03 ฿34.41

27.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 SAR 25.48

$13.89 ฿463

-51.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$1.34 ฿44.84

-51.49%

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

$21.2K SAR 79.8K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-23.56%

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

$23.0K SAR 86.2K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-31.22%

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

$122 SAR 458

$123 ฿4,105

-0.99%

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

$34.21 SAR 128

$13.77 ฿459

148.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.4 SAR 306

$18.33 ฿611

343.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$106 SAR 400

$60.7 ฿2,025

75.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.66 SAR 138

$17.16 ฿573

113.64%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 SAR 64.3

$8.87 ฿296

93.01%

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

$301 SAR 1,129

$688 ฿22.9K

-56.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,632 SAR 28.7K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-51.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 SAR 239

$59.3 ฿1,978

7.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 SAR 259

$34.69 ฿1,157

99.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 SAR 375

$115 ฿3,843

-13.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 SAR 293

$83.8 ฿2,794

-6.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 SAR 1,615

$621 ฿20.7K

-30.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 SAR 1,479

$446 ฿14.9K

-11.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 SAR 3,938

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-48.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$800 SAR 3,004

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-46.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,385 SAR 8,955

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-30.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,459 SAR 5,479

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-42.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,822 SAR 6,843

$494 ฿16.5K

269.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.84

5.33

-27.95%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Al Khobar and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 269% 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: $53.0 in Al Khobar vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $216 vs $291, with Al Khobar 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 Khobar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 269% higher in Al Khobar, 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: $430 in Al Khobar versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 432% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $301 in Al Khobar versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,323 in Al Khobar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Al Khobar 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 5% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.