Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha'il and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha'il and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,041 in Ha'il versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,491 in Ha'il versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,940 in Ha'il versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Ha'il costs roughly 18% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ha'il 22% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.57 SAR 24.68

$4.48 ฿150

46.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.76 SAR 96.8

$45.59 ฿1,521

-43.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 SAR 26.76

$8.76 ฿292

-18.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

Cappuccino

$3.27 SAR 12.26

$2.97 ฿99.0

10.10%

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

$1.01 SAR 3.78

$0.69 ฿22.90

46.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.20

$0.39 ฿13.04

-17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$2.15 ฿71.6

-18.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 SAR 3.03

$1.82 ฿60.6

-55.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 SAR 7.18

$2.18 ฿72.9

-12.39%

Eggs

$1.95 SAR 7.31

$2.25 ฿75.0

-13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.63 SAR 24.89

$20.00 ฿667

-66.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 SAR 33.48

$3.63 ฿121

145.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 SAR 31.86

$13.56 ฿452

-37.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

$3.24 ฿108

-52.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 SAR 5.69

$1.64 ฿54.6

-7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.72

$2.33 ฿77.8

-45.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 SAR 7.60

$2.07 ฿69.1

-2.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

$1.55 ฿51.6

-13.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$1.46 ฿48.54

6.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$0.98 ฿32.86

8.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 SAR 1.85

$0.48 ฿16.09

2.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.02 SAR 26.34

$4.35 ฿145

61.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.07

$1.42 ฿47.28

-23.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.94 SAR 150

$11.57 ฿386

245.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 SAR 10.16

$3.17 ฿106

-14.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

$1.03 ฿34.41

76.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.09 SAR 49.14

$13.89 ฿463

-5.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.34 ฿44.84

-55.97%

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

$27.2K SAR 102.0K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-2.23%

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

$22.7K SAR 85.3K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-31.95%

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

$54.0 SAR 203

$123 ฿4,105

-56.12%

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

$21.59 SAR 81.1

$13.77 ฿459

56.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.03 SAR 173

$18.33 ฿611

151.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 SAR 249

$60.7 ฿2,025

9.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.21 SAR 136

$17.16 ฿573

111.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 SAR 55.2

$8.87 ฿296

65.73%

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

$352 SAR 1,320

$688 ฿22.9K

-48.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,085 SAR 26.6K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-55.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 SAR 222

$59.3 ฿1,978

-0.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 SAR 227

$34.69 ฿1,157

74.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 SAR 292

$115 ฿3,843

-32.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.6 SAR 303

$83.8 ฿2,794

-3.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 SAR 1,871

$621 ฿20.7K

-19.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 SAR 1,241

$446 ฿14.9K

-25.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,651

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-78.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 SAR 1,355

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-75.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,366 SAR 8,885

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-31.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,332 SAR 5,001

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-47.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,064 SAR 3,994

$494 ฿16.5K

115.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

5.33

-17.07%

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

Last update for Ha'il: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $498 in Ha'il and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 115% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Ha'il vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $291 per month, with Ha'il cheaper across the board.

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

Ha'il vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ha'il wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ha'il the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 115% higher in Ha'il, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $498 in Ha'il versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $352 in Ha'il versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,041 in Ha'il versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ha'il but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ha'il the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ha'il delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,041 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ha'il hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ha'il 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 Ha'il gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.