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: $1,051 in Jubail versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,666 in Jubail versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,282 in Jubail versus $3,310 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 22% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.65 SAR 24.94

$4.56 ฿149

45.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.62 SAR 149

$46.63 ฿1,519

-15.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 SAR 33.88

$8.47 ฿276

6.61%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 SAR 10.82

Cappuccino

$3.37 SAR 12.63

$3.03 ฿98.6

11.22%

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

$0.84 SAR 3.14

$0.69 ฿22.45

21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$0.37 ฿11.92

-24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

$2.18 ฿71.0

-15.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 SAR 3.72

$1.90 ฿62.0

-47.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$2.20 ฿71.6

-26.36%

Eggs

$2.45 SAR 9.19

$2.22 ฿72.4

10.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 SAR 29.61

$19.99 ฿651

-60.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.04 SAR 26.44

$3.66 ฿119

92.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 SAR 41.00

$13.25 ฿432

-17.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.88

$3.23 ฿105

-26.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.50

$1.70 ฿55.3

1.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 SAR 6.17

$2.39 ฿78.0

-30.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 SAR 5.30

$2.08 ฿67.7

-32.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 SAR 4.39

$1.59 ฿51.8

-26.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.03

$1.48 ฿48.31

-9.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$1.03 ฿33.54

32.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$0.52 ฿16.83

13.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.99 SAR 11.23

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 SAR 7.26

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SAR 9.21

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 SAR 26.65

$4.25 ฿138

67.06%

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)

$0.89 SAR 3.35

$1.36 ฿44.32

-34.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.52 SAR 95.8

$11.36 ฿370

124.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 SAR 14.70

$3.14 ฿102

24.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SAR 6.89

$1.04 ฿33.74

76.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.24 SAR 64.7

$13.77 ฿448

25.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$1.34 ฿43.79

-52.24%

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

$20.1K SAR 75.4K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-27.44%

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

$24.0K SAR 90.1K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-29.13%

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

$99.1 SAR 372

$124 ฿4,025

-19.84%

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

$31.64 SAR 119

$13.52 ฿440

134.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 SAR 239

$18.69 ฿609

240.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.7 SAR 333

$61.8 ฿2,013

43.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 SAR 133

$17.25 ฿562

105.04%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 SAR 51.8

$9.14 ฿298

50.98%

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

$203 SAR 762

$703 ฿22.9K

-71.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,380 SAR 31.4K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-47.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.05 SAR 143

$59.5 ฿1,937

-36.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 SAR 231

$35.07 ฿1,142

75.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 SAR 316

$115 ฿3,754

-27.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 SAR 300

$84.1 ฿2,737

-4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 SAR 1,519

$619 ฿20.1K

-34.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 SAR 1,055

$433 ฿14.1K

-35.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 SAR 2,425

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-68.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 SAR 1,891

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-66.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,551 SAR 9,573

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-30.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,285 SAR 4,821

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-51.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,598 SAR 5,997

$507 ฿16.5K

215.20%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Jubail and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jubail pays 215% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Jubail vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $293 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.

Jubail pays 215% 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: $405 in Jubail versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,051 per month in Jubail versus $1,261 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 125% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,051 in Jubail versus $1,261 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 $1,051 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.