Cost of Living Comparison Between Hafar Al Batin and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hafar Al Batin and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,172 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,793 in Hafar Al Batin versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,414 in Hafar Al Batin versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Hafar Al Batin costs roughly 7% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hafar Al Batin 15% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.38 SAR 23.96

$4.66 ฿154

36.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.50 SAR 141

$32.22 ฿1,065

16.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 SAR 29.91

$8.68 ฿287

-8.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.50

Cappuccino

$3.34 SAR 12.54

$2.90 ฿95.8

15.17%

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

$0.85 SAR 3.20

$0.84 ฿27.89

1.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 SAR 1.00

$0.49 ฿16.16

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 SAR 7.30

$1.89 ฿62.3

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 SAR 4.54

$1.41 ฿46.54

-14.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 SAR 8.06

$1.62 ฿53.6

32.72%

Eggs

$2.38 SAR 8.94

$2.24 ฿74.1

6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.60 SAR 28.53

$19.84 ฿656

-61.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.92 SAR 29.73

$3.48 ฿115

127.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.73 SAR 47.80

$11.37 ฿376

11.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 SAR 8.08

$2.90 ฿95.8

-25.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$1.72 ฿57.0

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

$2.27 ฿75.1

-31.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$2.13 ฿70.4

-23.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 SAR 4.23

$1.47 ฿48.72

-23.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.89

$1.42 ฿46.92

-8.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.47

$1.10 ฿36.25

8.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.10

$0.60 ฿19.76

-6.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 SAR 10.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SAR 7.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 SAR 24.72

$4.31 ฿142

52.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 SAR 3.71

$2.25 ฿74.2

-56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.25 SAR 121

$23.49 ฿776

37.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 SAR 12.47

$3.10 ฿102

7.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 SAR 6.61

$1.08 ฿35.56

62.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.58 SAR 54.8

$3.87 ฿128

276.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 SAR 2.33

$1.43 ฿47.16

-56.64%

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

$50.7K SAR 190.4K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

82.50%

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

$23.1K SAR 86.6K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-14.56%

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

$108 SAR 406

$105 ฿3,462

3.17%

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

$30.43 SAR 114

$11.39 ฿376

167.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 SAR 251

$17.54 ฿580

281.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 SAR 289

$54.3 ฿1,795

41.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.40 SAR 144

$11.44 ฿378

235.66%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 SAR 53.1

$7.78 ฿257

81.62%

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

$392 SAR 1,471

$576 ฿19.0K

-32.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,339 SAR 23.8K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-45.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.58 SAR 182

$63.6 ฿2,103

-23.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.4 SAR 238

$29.10 ฿961

117.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 SAR 397

$96.2 ฿3,179

9.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 SAR 323

$90.0 ฿2,974

-4.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 SAR 2,020

$733 ฿24.2K

-26.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 SAR 1,318

$501 ฿16.5K

-29.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 SAR 3,345

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-58.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 SAR 2,372

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-49.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,623 SAR 9,852

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-25.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,195 SAR 4,488

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-54.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,417 SAR 5,320

$508 ฿16.8K

179.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

5.57

-1.80%

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

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $538 in Hafar Al Batin and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafar Al Batin pays 179% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Hafar Al Batin vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $275, with Hafar Al Batin 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

Hafar Al Batin vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafar Al Batin wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hafar Al Batin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 179% higher in Hafar Al Batin, 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: $538 in Hafar Al Batin versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $392 in Hafar Al Batin versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,172 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hafar Al Batin but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Hafar Al Batin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hafar Al Batin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,172 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hafar Al Batin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.