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: $1,024 in Ha'il versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,456 in Ha'il versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,889 in Ha'il versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Ha'il costs roughly 19% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ha'il 24% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 SAR 25.31

$4.56 ฿149

47.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.47 SAR 95.6

$46.63 ฿1,519

-45.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 SAR 27.11

$8.47 ฿276

-14.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 SAR 3.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

Cappuccino

$3.29 SAR 12.36

$3.03 ฿98.6

8.58%

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

$1.03 SAR 3.87

$0.69 ฿22.45

49.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.20

$0.37 ฿11.92

-13.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$2.18 ฿71.0

-22.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 SAR 3.19

$1.90 ฿62.0

-55.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 SAR 6.97

$2.20 ฿71.6

-15.45%

Eggs

$1.96 SAR 7.36

$2.22 ฿72.4

-11.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.81 SAR 25.54

$19.99 ฿651

-65.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 SAR 31.84

$3.66 ฿119

131.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 SAR 31.58

$13.25 ฿432

-36.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 SAR 5.79

$3.23 ฿105

-52.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

$1.70 ฿55.3

-7.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$2.39 ฿78.0

-45.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.32

$2.08 ฿67.7

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.86

$1.59 ฿51.8

-18.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$1.48 ฿48.31

7.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.98

$1.03 ฿33.54

2.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 SAR 1.83

$0.52 ฿16.83

-5.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.74 SAR 10.27

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.05 SAR 26.45

$4.25 ฿138

65.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.36 ฿44.32

-19.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.68 SAR 153

$11.36 ฿370

258.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 SAR 9.93

$3.14 ฿102

-15.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.04 ฿33.74

82.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.51 SAR 50.7

$13.77 ฿448

-1.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$1.34 ฿43.79

-56.72%

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

$27.2K SAR 102.0K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-1.82%

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

$22.1K SAR 82.8K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-34.85%

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

$53.4 SAR 200

$124 ฿4,025

-56.78%

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

$21.53 SAR 80.8

$13.52 ฿440

59.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.44 SAR 174

$18.69 ฿609

148.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 SAR 251

$61.8 ฿2,013

8.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.13 SAR 136

$17.25 ฿562

109.45%

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 SAR 55.7

$9.14 ฿298

62.47%

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

$356 SAR 1,336

$703 ฿22.9K

-49.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,030 SAR 26.4K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-55.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 SAR 225

$59.5 ฿1,937

0.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 SAR 228

$35.07 ฿1,142

73.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 SAR 298

$115 ฿3,754

-31.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 SAR 305

$84.1 ฿2,737

-3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 SAR 1,840

$619 ฿20.1K

-20.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 SAR 1,223

$433 ฿14.1K

-24.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,652

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-78.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 SAR 1,360

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-76.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,399 SAR 9,004

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-34.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,311 SAR 4,921

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-50.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,066 SAR 3,999

$507 ฿16.5K

110.18%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Ha'il and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 110% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Ha'il vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $293 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 23% 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.

Ha'il pays 110% more on average, 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: $490 in Ha'il versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $356 in Ha'il versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,024 in Ha'il versus $1,261 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 $1,024 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.