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: $1,341 in Al Khobar versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,136 in Al Khobar versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,931 in Al Khobar versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 9% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 0% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 SAR 25.51

$4.63 ฿151

46.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 SAR 196

$46.84 ฿1,532

11.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 SAR 29.27

$8.84 ฿289

-11.65%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 SAR 7.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SAR 10.23

Cappuccino

$4.23 SAR 15.84

$3.00 ฿98.0

41.00%

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

$1.02 SAR 3.84

$0.74 ฿24.25

37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 SAR 1.83

$0.37 ฿11.95

32.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

$2.26 ฿73.9

-21.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 SAR 5.02

$1.84 ฿60.1

-27.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 SAR 9.01

$2.24 ฿73.4

7.14%

Eggs

$2.82 SAR 10.57

$2.32 ฿75.7

21.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.88 SAR 25.80

$19.67 ฿643

-65.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 SAR 33.93

$3.65 ฿119

147.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.37 SAR 46.39

$13.10 ฿428

-5.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$3.39 ฿111

-28.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.47

$1.64 ฿53.7

5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 SAR 8.29

$2.41 ฿79.0

-8.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$2.03 ฿66.4

-20.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 SAR 5.36

$1.56 ฿50.9

-8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

$1.50 ฿48.94

14.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.02 ฿33.50

67.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.49 ฿16.00

20.41%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SAR 5.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 SAR 24.71

$4.45 ฿145

48.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 SAR 3.40

$1.40 ฿45.81

-35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 SAR 223

$11.48 ฿376

418.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 SAR 8.29

$3.12 ฿102

-29.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$1.00 ฿32.67

31.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 SAR 25.08

$14.09 ฿461

-52.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.35 ฿44.19

-53.33%

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

$21.0K SAR 78.7K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-22.76%

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

$23.1K SAR 86.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-29.94%

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

$123 SAR 461

$125 ฿4,087

-1.68%

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

$34.30 SAR 129

$13.57 ฿444

152.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 SAR 303

$18.52 ฿606

336.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 SAR 409

$61.5 ฿2,010

77.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.07 SAR 135

$16.84 ฿551

114.19%

Cinema Ticket

$17.15 SAR 64.3

$9.19 ฿300

86.62%

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

$306 SAR 1,147

$698 ฿22.8K

-56.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,552 SAR 28.3K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-51.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 SAR 236

$57.8 ฿1,889

8.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.8 SAR 258

$35.24 ฿1,152

95.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 SAR 372

$113 ฿3,699

-12.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 SAR 297

$86.4 ฿2,825

-8.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 SAR 1,639

$616 ฿20.1K

-29.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 SAR 1,479

$446 ฿14.6K

-11.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 SAR 3,952

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-48.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 SAR 2,955

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-47.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 SAR 9,040

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-36.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,432 SAR 5,370

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-45.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 SAR 7,283

$524 ฿17.1K

270.75%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Al Khobar and $616 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: $52.0 in Al Khobar vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $216 vs $292, 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 9% 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.

Al Khobar pays 271% more on average, 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: $437 in Al Khobar versus $616 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 418% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Al Khobar versus $698 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 $1,341 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 9% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.