Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,108 in Ar-rass versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,701 in Ar-rass versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,295 in Ar-rass versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rass 19% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 SAR 24.59

$4.43 ฿145

47.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.98 SAR 143

$35.07 ฿1,151

8.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 SAR 29.39

$8.96 ฿294

-12.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.33

Cappuccino

$3.45 SAR 12.96

$3.00 ฿98.4

15.00%

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

$0.88 SAR 3.31

$0.77 ฿25.33

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$0.47 ฿15.44

-48.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 SAR 6.96

$1.82 ฿59.8

1.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 SAR 1.57

$1.42 ฿46.65

-70.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.14

$1.55 ฿50.8

22.58%

Eggs

$3.57 SAR 13.42

$2.13 ฿69.9

67.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 SAR 27.50

$19.76 ฿648

-62.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.92 SAR 29.75

$3.48 ฿114

127.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 SAR 49.38

$11.09 ฿364

18.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 SAR 8.15

$2.91 ฿95.5

-25.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.19

$1.66 ฿54.6

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.03

$2.27 ฿74.5

-29.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

$2.10 ฿68.8

-22.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 SAR 4.32

$1.47 ฿48.24

-21.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.20

$1.41 ฿46.29

-2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 SAR 4.34

$1.09 ฿35.78

6.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$0.54 ฿17.58

11.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.76 SAR 10.36

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SAR 8.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.77 SAR 29.17

$4.48 ฿147

73.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$2.26 ฿74.1

-53.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.36 SAR 133

$23.07 ฿757

53.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 SAR 11.14

$3.04 ฿99.9

-2.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 SAR 6.61

$1.09 ฿35.82

61.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.29 SAR 49.91

$3.82 ฿125

247.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$1.49 ฿48.79

-57.72%

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

$45.7K SAR 171.6K

$27.4K ฿900.3K

66.61%

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

$21.5K SAR 80.9K

$27.5K ฿902.7K

-21.72%

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

$101 SAR 379

$102 ฿3,340

-0.91%

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

$23.94 SAR 89.9

$11.28 ฿370

112.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 SAR 225

$17.75 ฿582

237.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 SAR 166

$54.2 ฿1,777

-18.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.81 SAR 138

$10.96 ฿360

235.86%

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 SAR 49.58

$7.85 ฿258

68.15%

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

$345 SAR 1,295

$577 ฿18.9K

-40.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,555 SAR 24.6K

$11.6K ฿381.6K

-43.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 SAR 193

$65.4 ฿2,144

-21.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 SAR 223

$28.89 ฿948

105.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 SAR 370

$99.1 ฿3,250

-0.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 SAR 335

$90.3 ฿2,961

-1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 SAR 2,220

$756 ฿24.8K

-21.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 SAR 1,306

$487 ฿16.0K

-28.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 SAR 1,456

$2,085 ฿68.4K

-81.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 SAR 2,046

$1,207 ฿39.6K

-54.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,321 SAR 8,715

$3,591 ฿117.8K

-35.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,390 SAR 5,217

$2,610 ฿85.6K

-46.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,714 SAR 6,434

$502 ฿16.5K

241.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

5.57

-1.80%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: August 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $591 in Ar-rass and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 241% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Ar-rass vs $35.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $199 vs $272, with Ar-rass 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

Ar-rass vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ar-rass and Phuket differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,108 vs $1,261 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 241% higher in Ar-rass, 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: $591 in Ar-rass versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $345 in Ar-rass versus $577 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,108 in Ar-rass versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.