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: $1,166 in Ar-rass versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,758 in Ar-rass versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,350 in Ar-rass versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 5% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rass 13% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.60 SAR 24.75

$4.63 ฿151

42.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 SAR 166

$46.84 ฿1,532

-5.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 SAR 30.67

$8.84 ฿289

-7.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.84

Cappuccino

$3.71 SAR 13.93

$3.00 ฿98.0

23.67%

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

$0.78 SAR 2.93

$0.74 ฿24.25

5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$0.37 ฿11.95

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 SAR 8.84

$2.26 ฿73.9

4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 SAR 3.75

$1.84 ฿60.1

-45.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.61

$2.24 ฿73.4

-33.04%

Eggs

$3.69 SAR 13.85

$2.32 ฿75.7

59.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.75 SAR 25.30

$19.67 ฿643

-65.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 SAR 28.13

$3.65 ฿119

105.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.87 SAR 48.28

$13.10 ฿428

-1.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.16

$3.39 ฿111

-35.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$1.64 ฿53.7

-3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$2.41 ฿79.0

-28.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.07

$2.03 ฿66.4

-20.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.83

$1.56 ฿50.9

-17.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$1.50 ฿48.94

-15.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 SAR 4.63

$1.02 ฿33.50

21.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.06

$0.49 ฿16.00

12.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.44 SAR 9.16

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 SAR 24.03

$4.45 ฿145

44.04%

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)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.40 ฿45.81

-22.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.57 SAR 148

$11.48 ฿376

244.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 SAR 9.87

$3.12 ฿102

-15.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 SAR 7.18

$1.00 ฿32.67

92.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 SAR 49.30

$14.09 ฿461

-6.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$1.35 ฿44.19

-57.04%

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

$26.9K SAR 101.0K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-0.95%

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

$22.6K SAR 84.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-31.48%

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

$107 SAR 402

$125 ฿4,087

-14.16%

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

$33.09 SAR 124

$13.57 ฿444

143.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 SAR 274

$18.52 ฿606

294.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.27 SAR 166

$61.5 ฿2,010

-27.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.20 SAR 136

$16.84 ฿551

114.96%

Cinema Ticket

$15.94 SAR 59.8

$9.19 ฿300

73.45%

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

$354 SAR 1,327

$698 ฿22.8K

-49.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,915 SAR 25.9K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-55.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.12 SAR 79.2

$57.8 ฿1,889

-63.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 SAR 229

$35.24 ฿1,152

73.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.2 SAR 293

$113 ฿3,699

-30.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 SAR 310

$86.4 ฿2,825

-4.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 SAR 1,631

$616 ฿20.1K

-29.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,431

$446 ฿14.6K

-14.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 SAR 1,444

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-81.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$634 SAR 2,377

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-57.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,374 SAR 8,901

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-37.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 SAR 5,661

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-43.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,724 SAR 6,465

$524 ฿17.1K

229.11%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Ar-rass and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 229% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Ar-rass vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 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 6% in total monthly costs ($1,166 vs $1,232 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ar-rass pays 229% 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: $435 in Ar-rass versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $354 in Ar-rass versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,166 in Ar-rass versus $1,232 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 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.