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: $1,434 in Al Khobar versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,206 in Al Khobar versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,978 in Al Khobar versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 16% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 5% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 SAR 25.66

$4.41 ฿147

54.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 SAR 226

$32.26 ฿1,077

86.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 SAR 29.42

$8.93 ฿298

-12.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 SAR 10.16

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 SAR 9.78

Cappuccino

$4.47 SAR 16.77

$2.90 ฿96.6

54.14%

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

$0.99 SAR 3.74

$0.88 ฿29.38

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 SAR 1.53

$0.48 ฿16.06

-14.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SAR 6.10

$1.87 ฿62.3

-12.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SAR 4.72

$1.47 ฿48.94

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 SAR 9.51

$1.55 ฿51.8

63.23%

Eggs

$2.36 SAR 8.88

$2.10 ฿70.1

12.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.20 SAR 27.04

$19.59 ฿654

-63.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 SAR 37.57

$3.42 ฿114

192.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.85 SAR 44.49

$11.38 ฿380

4.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 SAR 10.36

$2.98 ฿99.6

-7.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.62

$1.68 ฿56.2

4.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

$2.21 ฿73.7

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 SAR 6.81

$2.16 ฿72.1

-16.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 SAR 5.25

$1.52 ฿50.9

-7.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.39

$1.34 ฿44.67

26.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 SAR 6.48

$1.13 ฿37.67

52.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.20

$0.55 ฿18.24

7.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.61 SAR 9.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SAR 7.23

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 SAR 25.63

$4.26 ฿142

60.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 SAR 3.02

$2.23 ฿74.4

-64.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 SAR 258

$22.74 ฿759

202.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 SAR 12.58

$3.03 ฿101

10.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 SAR 9.94

$1.02 ฿34.15

159.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 SAR 25.13

$3.89 ฿130

71.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.27

$1.49 ฿49.77

-59.73%

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

$67.9K SAR 254.9K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

155.30%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.5K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-17.74%

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

$98.7 SAR 371

$102 ฿3,420

-3.72%

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

$32.44 SAR 122

$11.33 ฿378

186.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 SAR 257

$17.40 ฿581

292.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.1 SAR 308

$52.1 ฿1,738

57.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.49 SAR 137

$11.07 ฿370

229.63%

Cinema Ticket

$15.05 SAR 56.5

$7.69 ฿257

95.71%

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

$611 SAR 2,294

$561 ฿18.7K

8.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,394 SAR 31.5K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-27.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 SAR 238

$63.0 ฿2,104

0.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.7 SAR 307

$29.52 ฿986

176.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 SAR 365

$98.0 ฿3,272

-0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 SAR 355

$88.5 ฿2,954

6.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 SAR 2,412

$738 ฿24.6K

-12.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 SAR 1,921

$482 ฿16.1K

6.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 SAR 4,442

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-43.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 SAR 3,201

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-30.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 SAR 9,134

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-32.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 SAR 5,512

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-43.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,830 SAR 6,872

$494 ฿16.5K

270.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

5.57

5.57%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $642 in Al Khobar and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 271% 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: $60.0 in Al Khobar vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $219 vs $274, 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 16% 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 271% 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: $642 in Al Khobar versus $738 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 202% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $611 in Al Khobar versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,434 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 $1,232 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 16% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.