Cost of Living Comparison Between Jubail and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Jubail and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,054 in Jubail versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,650 in Jubail versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,247 in Jubail versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Jubail costs roughly 17% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jubail 21% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.74 SAR 25.29

$4.48 ฿150

50.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.37 SAR 148

$45.59 ฿1,525

-13.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.41 SAR 35.34

$8.76 ฿293

7.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 SAR 7.20

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 SAR 10.94

Cappuccino

$3.34 SAR 12.55

$2.97 ฿99.3

12.46%

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

$0.76 SAR 2.86

$0.69 ฿22.96

10.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.05

$0.39 ฿13.07

-28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

$2.15 ฿71.8

-15.35%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 SAR 3.70

$1.82 ฿60.7

-45.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$2.18 ฿73.1

-22.94%

Eggs

$2.51 SAR 9.44

$2.25 ฿75.2

11.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 SAR 30.74

$20.00 ฿669

-59.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 SAR 25.75

$3.63 ฿121

88.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 SAR 41.60

$13.56 ฿453

-18.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 SAR 8.68

$3.24 ฿109

-28.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.23

$1.64 ฿54.7

1.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$2.33 ฿78.0

-32.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 SAR 5.29

$2.07 ฿69.3

-31.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.19

$1.55 ฿51.8

-27.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 SAR 5.13

$1.46 ฿48.67

-6.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 SAR 5.29

$0.98 ฿32.94

43.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$0.48 ฿16.13

25.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.98 SAR 11.18

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 SAR 8.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 SAR 27.27

$4.35 ฿146

66.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 SAR 3.42

$1.42 ฿47.40

-35.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.68 SAR 96.4

$11.57 ฿387

121.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 SAR 15.19

$3.17 ฿106

27.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

$1.03 ฿34.51

76.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.99 SAR 63.8

$13.89 ฿465

22.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$1.34 ฿44.96

-52.24%

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

$19.7K SAR 73.9K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

-29.18%

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

$24.3K SAR 91.1K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-27.33%

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

$102 SAR 381

$123 ฿4,116

-17.50%

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

$31.84 SAR 120

$13.77 ฿461

131.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 SAR 242

$18.33 ฿613

251.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.4 SAR 336

$60.7 ฿2,030

47.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.40 SAR 133

$17.16 ฿574

106.29%

Cinema Ticket

$14.00 SAR 52.5

$8.87 ฿297

57.84%

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

$202 SAR 757

$688 ฿23.0K

-70.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,592 SAR 32.3K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-45.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.51 SAR 141

$59.3 ฿1,984

-36.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.2 SAR 230

$34.69 ฿1,160

76.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 SAR 318

$115 ฿3,853

-26.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 SAR 302

$83.8 ฿2,802

-4.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$403 SAR 1,514

$621 ฿20.8K

-35.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 SAR 1,024

$446 ฿14.9K

-38.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 SAR 2,390

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-68.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 SAR 1,868

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-66.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,545 SAR 9,554

$3,455 ฿115.6K

-26.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,317 SAR 4,944

$2,531 ฿84.7K

-47.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,627 SAR 6,107

$494 ฿16.5K

229.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Jubail: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $403 in Jubail and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jubail pays 230% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Jubail vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $291 per month, with Jubail 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

Jubail vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jubail wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jubail the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 230% higher in Jubail, 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: $403 in Jubail versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,054 per month in Jubail versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jubail runs roughly 122% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,054 in Jubail versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jubail but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jubail the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jubail delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,054 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jubail hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Jubail 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 Jubail gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.