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: $2,025 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,067 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,109 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Dibba Al-Fujairah is roughly 60% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dibba Al-Fujairah is 51% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 AED 39.39

$4.70 ฿153

128.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.0 AED 301

$45.37 ฿1,482

80.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 AED 35.47

$8.43 ฿275

14.59%

Cappuccino

$5.57 AED 20.46

$2.93 ฿95.6

90.10%

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

$1.18 AED 4.35

$0.69 ฿22.40

71.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 AED 3.42

$0.37 ฿11.99

151.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.39 AED 45.51

$2.41 ฿78.6

414.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.75 AED 50.5

$3.72 ฿122

269.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 AED 6.98

$2.23 ฿72.9

-14.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 AED 5.19

$1.83 ฿59.8

-22.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 AED 8.24

$2.17 ฿70.8

3.23%

Eggs

$3.28 AED 12.03

$2.21 ฿72.3

48.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.97 AED 36.61

$19.74 ฿645

-49.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 AED 34.95

$3.63 ฿119

162.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 AED 45.94

$13.53 ฿442

-7.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 AED 8.77

$3.28 ฿107

-27.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.97

$1.61 ฿52.6

18.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 AED 7.05

$2.41 ฿78.6

-20.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 AED 5.67

$2.08 ฿68.1

-25.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 AED 4.37

$1.53 ฿49.93

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 AED 4.66

$1.48 ฿48.36

-14.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 AED 5.35

$0.99 ฿32.29

47.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 AED 2.56

$0.51 ฿16.67

37.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.44 AED 23.67

$4.41 ฿144

46.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 AED 60.8

$19.38 ฿633

-14.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 AED 9.65

$1.78 ฿58.1

47.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 AED 12.54

$2.71 ฿88.6

25.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 AED 6.06

$1.37 ฿44.79

20.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 AED 195

$11.39 ฿372

365.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 AED 11.74

$3.02 ฿98.6

5.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 AED 1.89

$0.99 ฿32.48

-48.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 AED 29.94

$14.10 ฿461

-42.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 AED 2.69

$1.36 ฿44.51

-46.32%

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

$33.2K AED 121.8K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

17.55%

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

$22.7K AED 83.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-31.15%

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

$214 AED 788

$122 ฿3,975

76.24%

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

$61.1 AED 225

$13.57 ฿443

350.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 AED 378

$18.31 ฿598

462.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.5 AED 237

$60.2 ฿1,967

7.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.79 AED 142

$17.14 ฿560

126.31%

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 AED 55.0

$8.69 ฿284

72.15%

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

$837 AED 3,074

$693 ฿22.6K

20.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,718 AED 21.0K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-63.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 AED 305

$59.5 ฿1,944

39.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.0 AED 235

$34.77 ฿1,136

84.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 AED 414

$115 ฿3,743

-1.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 AED 447

$83.3 ฿2,720

46.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$732 AED 2,689

$613 ฿20.0K

19.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 AED 2,808

$437 ฿14.3K

74.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 AED 9,269

$2,094 ฿68.4K

20.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 AED 5,002

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-9.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,051 AED 18.6K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

34.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,182 AED 8,014

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-16.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $732 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $282 vs $293, 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 60% in total monthly costs ($2,025 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,037 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $1,898 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: $732 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $613 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 365% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $837 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,025 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 60% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.