Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hafar Al Batin and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Hafar Al Batin: $1,177 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

57

Cost of Living Index in Hafar Al Batin
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Hafar Al Batin Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Hafar Al Batin

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,177

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hafar Al Batin and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hafar Al Batin and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,177 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Hafar Al Batin $1,177
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,740 in Hafar Al Batin versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Hafar Al Batin $1,740
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,303 in Hafar Al Batin versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Hafar Al Batin $2,303
Phuket $3,154

Living in Hafar Al Batin costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hafar Al Batin 14% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 SAR 22.34

$4.47 ฿151

33.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.72 SAR 138

$32.41 ฿1,094

13.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 SAR 30.02

$8.81 ฿297

-9.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 SAR 8.54

Cappuccino

$3.19 SAR 11.97

$2.83 ฿95.5

12.72%

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

$0.89 SAR 3.32

$0.87 ฿29.43

2.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$0.49 ฿16.67

-51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

$1.66 ฿56.0

22.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SAR 4.73

$1.46 ฿49.35

-13.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$1.50 ฿50.6

48.67%

Eggs

$2.33 SAR 8.73

$2.09 ฿70.5

11.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 SAR 27.59

$19.07 ฿644

-61.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 SAR 28.76

$3.30 ฿111

132.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.71 SAR 47.69

$10.91 ฿368

16.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.09

$2.93 ฿99.0

-26.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.69 ฿57.1

2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

$2.25 ฿75.8

-30.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

$2.08 ฿70.1

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.63

$1.51 ฿51.0

-18.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$1.38 ฿46.56

-7.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 SAR 4.60

$1.07 ฿35.99

14.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 SAR 2.13

$0.52 ฿17.52

9.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.01 SAR 11.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SAR 7.72

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 SAR 25.66

$4.20 ฿142

62.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.07

$1.45 ฿49.03

-24.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.77 SAR 138

$56.7 ฿1,913

-35.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 SAR 9.88

$3.02 ฿102

-12.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$1.02 ฿34.36

85.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.19 SAR 49.49

$3.69 ฿125

257.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.45

$1.47 ฿49.81

-55.78%

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

$28.6K SAR 107.5K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

6.97%

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

$21.9K SAR 82.0K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-18.09%

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

$103 SAR 385

$96.4 ฿3,254

6.62%

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

$32.43 SAR 122

$11.26 ฿380

188.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 SAR 246

$16.85 ฿569

289.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 SAR 302

$67.2 ฿2,270

19.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 SAR 49.02

$7.50 ฿253

74.13%

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

$427 SAR 1,604

$476 ฿16.1K

-10.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,044 SAR 30.2K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-28.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.48 SAR 156

$62.4 ฿2,106

-33.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 SAR 200

$28.41 ฿959

88.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 SAR 354

$94.3 ฿3,184

0.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.2 SAR 327

$85.8 ฿2,898

1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$568 SAR 2,130

$716 ฿24.2K

-20.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 SAR 1,403

$491 ฿16.6K

-23.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 SAR 3,011

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-58.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 SAR 2,106

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-60.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,396 SAR 8,992

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-42.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,386 SAR 5,201

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-54.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,403 SAR 5,266

$502 ฿17.0K

179.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.57

-0.54%

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

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hafar Al Batin

$374 31.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 31.3% $117

Groceries & Markets

Hafar Al Batin

$203 17.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 31.2% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hafar Al Batin

$201 17.1%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 38% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Hafar Al Batin

$124 10.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 2% $2.5

Eating Out

Hafar Al Batin

$114 9.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 6.4% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Hafar Al Batin

$107 9.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 22.9% $24

Getting Around

Hafar Al Batin

$53 4.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 32.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $568 in Hafar Al Batin and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafar Al Batin pays about 2.8 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37 in Hafar Al Batin vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $266, with Hafar Al Batin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Hafar Al Batin

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

21:07 9:07 PM

4 h ahead of Hafar Al Batin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,642

79,308

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hafar Al Batin Phuket 5,940 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Hafar Al Batin
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 in Hafar Al Batin is about 2.8 times higher, 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: $568 in Hafar Al Batin versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Hafar Al Batin versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Hafar Al Batin is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, 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.