Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between 'ali and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in 'ali: $818 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

'ali
🇧🇭 Bahrain
$818
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in 'ali and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in 'ali and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $818 per month in 'ali vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

  • 'ali $818
  • Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,299 per month in 'ali vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

  • 'ali $1,299
  • Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,779 per month in 'ali vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

  • 'ali $1,779
  • Phuket $2,867

'ali is about 32% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both 'ali and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – 'ali 39% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
'ali
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.36 BHD 2.02
$4.58 ฿154
17.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.3 BHD 20.13
$32.48 ฿1,090
64.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.44 BHD 2.81
$8.55 ฿287
-12.98%
Cappuccino
$5.01 BHD 1.89
$2.72 ฿91.4
84.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 BHD 0.34
$0.94 ฿31.38
-4.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 BHD 0.11
$0.49 ฿16.46
-38.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.73 BHD 2.54
$2.59 ฿86.9
159.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.18 BHD 3.84
$3.83 ฿129
165.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
'ali
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.42 BHD 0.54
$1.74 ฿58.3
-18.39%
White Bread (500g)
$1.07 BHD 0.40
$1.43 ฿48.02
-25.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.26 BHD 0.85
$1.53 ฿51.2
47.71%
Eggs
$2.22 BHD 0.84
$2.17 ฿73.0
2.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.64 BHD 3.26
$19.15 ฿643
-54.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.45 BHD 2.44
$3.30 ฿111
95.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.86 BHD 3.34
$11.14 ฿374
-20.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 BHD 0.87
$2.95 ฿98.9
-22.03%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 BHD 0.87
$1.68 ฿56.4
37.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 BHD 0.73
$2.30 ฿77.1
-16.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.40 BHD 0.53
$2.13 ฿71.6
-34.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 BHD 0.39
$1.53 ฿51.3
-32.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.35 BHD 0.51
$1.36 ฿45.74
-0.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.50 BHD 0.57
$1.12 ฿37.60
33.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 BHD 0.30
$0.55 ฿18.31
41.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.32 BHD 2.01
$4.26 ฿143
24.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.80 BHD 7.10
$18.19 ฿611
3.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.61 BHD 1.36
$1.74 ฿58.5
107.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 BHD 0.97
$2.79 ฿93.7
-7.89%
🚌 Getting Around
'ali
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.22 ฿74.4
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$22.06 ฿740
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.42 BHD 2.05
$2.91 ฿97.7
86.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.46 BHD 1.31
$1.01 ฿33.94
242.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.80 BHD 5.96
$3.83 ฿128
312.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.70 BHD 0.26
$1.49 ฿50.1
-53.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.7K BHD 13.9K
$26.7K ฿895.4K
37.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.1K BHD 7,592
$26.7K ฿896.4K
-24.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
'ali
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$151 BHD 57.0
$99.4 ฿3,335
51.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.17 BHD 9.12
$11.28 ฿379
114.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.75 BHD 13.49
$17.36 ฿583
105.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
'ali
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$52.3 ฿1,755
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.85 ฿364
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.67 BHD 4.03
$7.57 ฿254
40.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
'ali
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$495 BHD 187
$558 ฿18.7K
-11.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.2K BHD 4,228
$11.5K ฿385.5K
-2.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
'ali
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.9 BHD 19.58
$62.9 ฿2,110
-17.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.3 BHD 21.62
$28.58 ฿959
100.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.2 BHD 33.66
$96.1 ฿3,226
-7.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.2 BHD 33.67
$88.1 ฿2,955
1.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
'ali
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$729 ฿24.5K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$460 ฿15.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,096 ฿70.3K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,222 ฿41.0K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,459 ฿116.1K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,489 ฿83.5K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
'ali
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,823 BHD 1,443
$493 ฿16.5K
675.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.21
5.57
11.49%

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

Last update for 'ali: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
'ali
$250
Phuket
$268 7.2% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
'ali
$211
Phuket
$128 39.3% $83
Eating Out
'ali
$184
Phuket
$121 34.1% $63
Clothing & Footwear
'ali
$129
Phuket
$124 4.1% $5.4
Getting Around
'ali
$23 *
Phuket
$39 71.2% $16
Sport & Entertainment
'ali
$21 *
Phuket
$67 216% $46
Accommodation & Living
'ali
- *
Phuket
$460

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 675% higher in 'ali, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in 'ali versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in 'ali vs $268 in Phuket – so 'ali wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇭 'ali
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
03:11 3:11 AM
07:11 7:11 AM
4 h ahead of 'ali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
100,553
79,308
💱 Currency
Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BHD – Bahraini Dinar Converter

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.422 BHD (1 BHD = 2.37 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.56 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • 'ali Phuket 5,440 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • 'ali
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
'ali vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than 'ali?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,227 per month in 'ali and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in 'ali or in Phuket?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in 'ali and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in 'ali and in Phuket?
Groceries cost about 7% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in 'ali or in Phuket?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in 'ali, where all-in costs run around $818, than in Phuket at $1,207. In 'ali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is 'ali or Phuket more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward 'ali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, 'ali or Phuket?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with 'ali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

'ali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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