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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,333 in Ar-rawdah versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,249 in Ar-rawdah versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,165 in Ar-rawdah versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Ar-rawdah is roughly 8% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rawdah 3% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 KWD 3.47

$4.41 ฿147

156.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 KWD 19.58

$32.26 ฿1,073

97.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 KWD 2.78

$8.93 ฿297

1.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 KWD 1.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 KWD 1.50

Cappuccino

$5.30 KWD 1.63

$2.90 ฿96.3

82.76%

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

$0.71 KWD 0.22

$0.88 ฿29.27

-19.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 KWD 0.10

$0.48 ฿16.00

-35.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 KWD 0.49

$1.87 ฿62.0

-14.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 KWD 0.47

$1.47 ฿48.75

4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 KWD 0.61

$1.55 ฿51.6

29.03%

Eggs

$2.07 KWD 0.64

$2.10 ฿69.9

-1.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 KWD 1.34

$19.59 ฿651

-77.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 KWD 2.10

$3.42 ฿114

99.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.45 KWD 3.21

$11.38 ฿378

-8.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 KWD 0.75

$2.98 ฿99.2

-18.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 KWD 0.59

$1.68 ฿56.0

15.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 KWD 0.56

$2.21 ฿73.5

-18.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 KWD 0.46

$2.16 ฿71.9

-30.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

$1.52 ฿50.7

-8.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 KWD 0.45

$1.34 ฿44.49

10.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 KWD 0.73

$1.13 ฿37.53

110.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 KWD 0.18

$0.55 ฿18.17

9.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.32 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 KWD 0.86

$4.26 ฿142

-34.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 KWD 0.25

$2.23 ฿74.1

-63.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 KWD 1.48

$3.03 ฿101

59.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 KWD 0.98

$1.02 ฿34.02

212.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.00 KWD 4.92

$3.89 ฿129

311.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 KWD 0.10

$1.49 ฿49.57

-77.85%

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

$21.1K KWD 6,487

$26.6K ฿883.8K

-20.59%

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

$20.4K KWD 6,255

$27.0K ฿898.7K

-24.69%

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

$66.2 KWD 20.33

$102 ฿3,407

-35.43%

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

$22.53 KWD 6.92

$11.33 ฿377

98.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.99 KWD 9.21

$17.40 ฿578

72.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 KWD 31.20

$52.1 ฿1,732

94.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 KWD 3.52

$7.69 ฿256

49.15%

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

$300 KWD 92.2

$561 ฿18.6K

-46.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,436 KWD 2,900

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-17.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.81 KWD 11.62

$63.0 ฿2,096

-40.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.84 KWD 12.24

$29.52 ฿982

34.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 KWD 30.66

$98.0 ฿3,259

1.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 KWD 27.32

$88.5 ฿2,943

0.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 KWD 226

$738 ฿24.5K

-0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 KWD 167

$482 ฿16.0K

12.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 KWD 567

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-12.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 KWD 406

$1,226 ฿40.8K

7.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,642 KWD 505

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-36.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

5.57

17.24%

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

Last update for Ar-rawdah: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Ar-rawdah and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Ar-rawdah vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $189 vs $274, with Ar-rawdah 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-rawdah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Ar-rawdah. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,000 in Ar-rawdah and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Ar-rawdah versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ar-rawdah pay roughly 45% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,333 per month in Ar-rawdah versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,333 in Ar-rawdah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ar-rawdah. 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, Ar-rawdah 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 8% less than in Ar-rawdah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.