Cost of Living Comparison Between Dibba Al-Fujairah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Dibba Al-Fujairah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,035 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,110 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,185 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Dibba Al-Fujairah is roughly 63% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dibba Al-Fujairah is 52% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.99 AED 40.36

$4.55 ฿153

141.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 AED 305

$46.18 ฿1,554

80.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 AED 35.38

$8.84 ฿298

8.94%

Cappuccino

$5.73 AED 21.05

$3.06 ฿103

87.25%

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

$1.19 AED 4.37

$0.73 ฿24.42

63.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 AED 3.48

$0.40 ฿13.40

137.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.31 AED 45.20

$2.43 ฿81.8

406.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.77 AED 50.6

$3.78 ฿127

264.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 AED 7.30

$2.26 ฿76.0

-11.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 AED 5.29

$1.81 ฿60.9

-20.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 AED 7.99

$2.25 ฿75.8

-3.56%

Eggs

$3.39 AED 12.44

$2.25 ฿75.6

50.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 AED 37.30

$19.51 ฿656

-47.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 AED 34.73

$3.65 ฿123

159.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 AED 45.93

$13.05 ฿439

-4.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 AED 8.61

$3.23 ฿109

-27.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 AED 6.89

$1.62 ฿54.4

15.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.08

$2.38 ฿80.2

-18.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 AED 5.45

$2.03 ฿68.2

-27.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 AED 4.53

$1.53 ฿51.6

-19.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 AED 4.65

$1.50 ฿50.5

-16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 AED 5.08

$0.98 ฿32.93

40.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 AED 2.36

$0.52 ฿17.40

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.38 AED 23.42

$4.44 ฿149

43.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.17 AED 59.4

$18.32 ฿616

-11.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 AED 9.56

$1.86 ฿62.7

39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 AED 12.42

$2.68 ฿90.2

26.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 AED 6.11

$1.41 ฿47.49

17.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.4 AED 196

$11.70 ฿394

355.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 AED 11.74

$3.11 ฿105

2.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 AED 2.05

$1.04 ฿35.08

-46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.28 AED 30.42

$14.11 ฿475

-41.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 AED 2.72

$1.31 ฿44.13

-43.51%

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

$33.3K AED 122.3K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

19.75%

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

$22.6K AED 83.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-31.98%

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

$211 AED 775

$122 ฿4,120

72.24%

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

$60.9 AED 224

$13.59 ฿457

347.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 AED 369

$18.70 ฿629

437.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.8 AED 238

$60.5 ฿2,035

7.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.16 AED 147

$16.98 ฿572

136.51%

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 AED 56.1

$9.07 ฿305

68.36%

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

$849 AED 3,119

$706 ฿23.8K

20.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,719 AED 21.0K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-63.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.6 AED 303

$58.6 ฿1,970

41.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.2 AED 232

$35.36 ฿1,190

78.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 AED 423

$115 ฿3,885

-0.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 AED 452

$83.7 ฿2,818

46.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 AED 2,718

$626 ฿21.1K

18.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 AED 2,767

$445 ฿15.0K

69.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,515 AED 9,237

$2,040 ฿68.7K

23.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 AED 5,024

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-8.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,335 AED 15.9K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

24.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,555 AED 9,385

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-0.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.49

5.33

-15.76%

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

Last update for Dibba Al-Fujairah: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $282 vs $289, with Dibba Al-Fujairah 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

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

Dibba Al-Fujairah and Phuket differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($2,035 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,053 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $1,875 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: $740 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $626 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 356% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $849 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,035 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 63% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.