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: $1,147 in Ar-rass versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,752 in Ar-rass versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,358 in Ar-rass versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 6% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rass 14% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.51 SAR 24.42

$4.51 ฿148

44.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.25 SAR 170

$46.62 ฿1,528

-2.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 SAR 30.13

$8.49 ฿278

-5.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Cappuccino

$3.76 SAR 14.10

$3.08 ฿101

22.08%

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

$0.75 SAR 2.81

$0.68 ฿22.26

10.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.18

$0.36 ฿11.84

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 SAR 8.90

$2.19 ฿71.7

8.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$1.81 ฿59.5

-41.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 SAR 5.70

$2.23 ฿73.1

-31.84%

Eggs

$3.75 SAR 14.06

$2.24 ฿73.3

67.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.97 SAR 26.17

$19.60 ฿642

-64.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.37 SAR 27.65

$3.72 ฿122

98.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.16 SAR 49.39

$13.47 ฿441

-2.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 SAR 8.25

$3.36 ฿110

-34.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.19

$1.62 ฿53.0

1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

$2.41 ฿79.0

-29.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

$1.99 ฿65.2

-18.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.68

$1.53 ฿50.2

-18.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$1.45 ฿47.59

-8.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 SAR 4.43

$1.01 ฿33.23

16.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.48 ฿15.86

22.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.16 SAR 11.85

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 SAR 23.68

$4.27 ฿140

47.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$1.42 ฿46.44

-22.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.32 SAR 151

$11.72 ฿384

244.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 SAR 10.23

$3.00 ฿98.4

-9.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 SAR 6.97

$1.05 ฿34.28

77.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.07 SAR 49.04

$13.90 ฿456

-5.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 SAR 2.34

$1.29 ฿42.28

-51.94%

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

$26.8K SAR 100.6K

$28.0K ฿918.7K

-4.35%

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

$22.5K SAR 84.4K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-32.87%

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

$104 SAR 390

$122 ฿3,997

-14.72%

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

$33.48 SAR 126

$13.93 ฿457

140.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 SAR 270

$18.87 ฿618

281.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.04 SAR 165

$61.3 ฿2,008

-28.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.78 SAR 134

$16.84 ฿552

112.47%

Cinema Ticket

$15.91 SAR 59.7

$8.89 ฿291

78.97%

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

$352 SAR 1,320

$691 ฿22.7K

-49.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,111 SAR 26.7K

$16.2K ฿529.5K

-55.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.03 SAR 78.9

$57.8 ฿1,894

-63.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.5 SAR 231

$35.39 ฿1,160

73.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 SAR 299

$113 ฿3,716

-29.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 SAR 304

$83.0 ฿2,720

-2.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 SAR 1,634

$607 ฿19.9K

-28.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 SAR 1,417

$448 ฿14.7K

-15.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 SAR 1,449

$2,029 ฿66.5K

-80.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 SAR 2,367

$1,493 ฿48.9K

-57.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,194 SAR 8,236

$3,585 ฿117.5K

-38.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,392 SAR 5,224

$2,585 ฿84.7K

-46.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,757 SAR 6,593

$505 ฿16.5K

248.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

5.33

-17.07%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: June 16, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Ar-rass and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 248% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Ar-rass vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $292 per month, with Ar-rass cheaper across the board.

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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,147 vs $1,223 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 248% 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: $435 in Ar-rass versus $607 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $352 in Ar-rass versus $691 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,147 in Ar-rass versus $1,223 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 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.