Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dibba Al-Fujairah and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,960 in Dibba Al-Fujairah, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Dibba Al-Fujairah
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Dibba Al-Fujairah Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Dibba Al-Fujairah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,960

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dibba Al-Fujairah 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 Dibba Al-Fujairah and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,960 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Dibba Al-Fujairah $1,960
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,574 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Dibba Al-Fujairah $3,574
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,189 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Dibba Al-Fujairah $5,189
Phuket $2,845

Living in Dibba Al-Fujairah is roughly 62% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dibba Al-Fujairah is 45% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 AED 24.97

$4.40 ฿147

54.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 AED 297

$32.26 ฿1,078

150.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 AED 30.17

$8.76 ฿293

-6.28%

Cappuccino

$5.99 AED 22.01

$2.83 ฿94.5

111.66%

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

$0.78 AED 2.87

$0.90 ฿30.14

-13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 AED 1.04

$0.47 ฿15.56

-40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.67 AED 50.2

$2.55 ฿85.2

436.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.67 AED 50.2

$3.83 ฿128

256.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 AED 4.93

$1.73 ฿57.7

-22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 AED 4.10

$1.47 ฿49.11

-23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 AED 8.73

$1.51 ฿50.6

57.62%

Eggs

$2.14 AED 7.85

$2.17 ฿72.7

-1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 AED 44.70

$19.70 ฿658

-38.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 AED 25.38

$3.34 ฿112

106.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.77 AED 24.85

$11.16 ฿373

-39.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 AED 5.83

$2.85 ฿95.1

-44.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 AED 4.90

$1.70 ฿56.9

-21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 AED 6.80

$2.19 ฿73.3

-15.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 AED 4.86

$2.05 ฿68.4

-35.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 AED 3.08

$1.45 ฿48.57

-42.07%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 AED 2.91

$1.38 ฿46.16

-42.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 AED 5.06

$1.07 ฿35.69

28.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 AED 1.92

$0.51 ฿16.91

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.25 AED 22.96

$4.26 ฿142

46.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 AED 60.8

$18.58 ฿621

-10.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 AED 9.96

$1.78 ฿59.7

52.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 AED 9.93

$2.85 ฿95.2

-5.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.08 AED 7.64

$2.26 ฿75.6

-7.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.12 AED 136

$22.10 ฿738

67.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 AED 3.96

$3.01 ฿101

-64.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 AED 2.69

$1.06 ฿35.34

-31.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.41 AED 30.87

$3.86 ฿129

117.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 AED 2.76

$1.45 ฿48.45

-48.28%

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

$26.5K AED 97.2K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

0.50%

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

$21.9K AED 80.4K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-18.79%

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

$245 AED 900

$96.4 ฿3,221

154.37%

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

$53.2 AED 195

$11.04 ฿369

381.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.1 AED 301

$17.14 ฿573

378.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 AED 212

$52.2 ฿1,744

10.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.26 AED 111

$11.16 ฿373

171.15%

Cinema Ticket

$16.61 AED 61.0

$7.81 ฿261

112.68%

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

$851 AED 3,124

$556 ฿18.6K

53.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,706 AED 21.0K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-50.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 AED 252

$64.2 ฿2,146

6.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 AED 205

$28.69 ฿959

94.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 AED 377

$95.4 ฿3,187

7.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 AED 368

$88.0 ฿2,940

13.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 AED 2,966

$737 ฿24.6K

9.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$808 AED 2,969

$462 ฿15.5K

74.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 AED 6,803

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-11.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,721 AED 9,995

$1,201 ฿40.1K

126.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,788 AED 17.6K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

37.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,612 AED 9,594

$2,523 ฿84.3K

3.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

5.57

-18.49%

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

Last update for Dibba Al-Fujairah: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dibba Al-Fujairah

$808 41.3%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 42.8% $346

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dibba Al-Fujairah

$380 19.4%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 67.3% $256

Eating Out

Dibba Al-Fujairah

$251 12.8%

Phuket

$121 10% 51.7% $130

Groceries & Markets

Dibba Al-Fujairah

$232 11.8%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 15.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Dibba Al-Fujairah

$147 7.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 15.6% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Dibba Al-Fujairah

$91 4.6%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 25.4% $23

Getting Around

Dibba Al-Fujairah

$50 2.6%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 21.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $808 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $269, with Dibba Al-Fujairah cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dibba Al-Fujairah

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:52 2:52 PM

17:52 5:52 PM

3 h ahead of Dibba Al-Fujairah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,000

79,308

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dibba Al-Fujairah Phuket 4,870 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Dibba Al-Fujairah
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

Dibba Al-Fujairah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dibba Al-Fujairah and Phuket differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,960 vs $1,208 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,940 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $1,813 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: $808 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 68% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $851 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,960 in Dibba Al-Fujairah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Dibba Al-Fujairah. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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, Dibba Al-Fujairah 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 62% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.