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: $2,041 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,632 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,224 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $2,833 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 49% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 AED 24.97

$4.56 ฿150

49.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 AED 295

$32.62 ฿1,073

146.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 AED 30.88

$8.90 ฿293

-5.51%

Cappuccino

$6.41 AED 23.53

$2.80 ฿92.2

128.93%

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

$0.80 AED 2.95

$0.88 ฿28.94

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 AED 0.94

$0.49 ฿16.08

-46.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.59 AED 49.93

$2.39 ฿78.5

468.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.63 AED 50.1

$3.71 ฿122

267.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 AED 4.86

$1.79 ฿58.8

-26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 AED 4.04

$1.44 ฿47.40

-23.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 AED 8.83

$1.58 ฿52.1

51.90%

Eggs

$2.17 AED 7.97

$2.13 ฿69.9

1.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 AED 44.69

$19.92 ฿655

-38.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 AED 25.44

$3.43 ฿113

102.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.96 AED 25.57

$11.33 ฿372

-38.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 AED 5.85

$2.95 ฿97.0

-46.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 AED 4.95

$1.72 ฿56.6

-21.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 AED 6.83

$2.32 ฿76.5

-19.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 AED 4.91

$2.08 ฿68.4

-35.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 AED 2.90

$1.47 ฿48.34

-46.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 AED 2.96

$1.36 ฿44.65

-40.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 AED 5.11

$1.10 ฿36.13

26.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 AED 2.04

$0.57 ฿18.89

-1.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.96 AED 21.90

$4.27 ฿140

39.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.57 AED 60.9

$18.42 ฿606

-10.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 9.98

$1.87 ฿61.5

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 AED 10.05

$2.92 ฿96.1

-6.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 AED 8.13

$2.22 ฿73.0

-0.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.36 AED 148

$22.90 ฿753

76.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 AED 4.06

$3.03 ฿99.6

-63.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 AED 2.46

$1.07 ฿35.32

-37.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 AED 29.18

$3.93 ฿129

102.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 AED 2.74

$1.49 ฿49.06

-49.66%

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

$27.0K AED 99.1K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-0.56%

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

$22.6K AED 83.2K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-17.50%

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

$245 AED 901

$103 ฿3,380

138.52%

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

$52.9 AED 194

$10.99 ฿361

381.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 AED 301

$17.51 ฿576

367.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 AED 234

$53.5 ฿1,760

18.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.34 AED 104

$11.20 ฿368

153.04%

Cinema Ticket

$16.31 AED 59.9

$7.48 ฿246

118.05%

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

$824 AED 3,027

$557 ฿18.3K

48.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,694 AED 20.9K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-51.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 AED 280

$64.1 ฿2,107

19.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 AED 214

$29.07 ฿956

100.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 AED 364

$96.0 ฿3,155

3.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 AED 346

$90.3 ฿2,970

4.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$813 AED 2,986

$730 ฿24.0K

11.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$865 AED 3,178

$500 ฿16.4K

73.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 AED 6,616

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-13.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,609 AED 9,580

$1,209 ฿39.8K

115.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,938 AED 18.1K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

37.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,308 AED 8,477

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-8.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

5.57

-19.21%

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

Last update for Dibba Al-Fujairah: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $813 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $273, 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 ($2,041 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,061 in Dibba Al-Fujairah and $1,880 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: $813 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $730 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 76% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $824 in Dibba Al-Fujairah versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,041 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.