Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ad Dammam

For one person, living is cheaper in Ad Dammam: $1,217 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $730 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Ad Dammam
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Ad Dammam Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Ad Dammam

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ad Dammam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,217 in Ad Dammam.

Phuket $1,278
Ad Dammam $1,217

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,838 in Ad Dammam.

Phuket $2,216
Ad Dammam $1,838

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,460 in Ad Dammam.

Phuket $3,154
Ad Dammam $2,460

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than in Ad Dammam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ad Dammam 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$7.12 SAR 26.74

-37.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$34.16 SAR 128

-5.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.82 SAR 25.60

29.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.17

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SAR 8.45

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.02 SAR 11.33

-6.29%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.78 SAR 2.94

11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.17 SAR 0.63

188.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.73 SAR 6.51

-4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.29 SAR 4.85

13.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.94 SAR 7.29

-22.68%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.18 SAR 8.20

-4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.60 SAR 28.53

150.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.83 SAR 29.37

-57.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$12.77 SAR 47.92

-14.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.22 SAR 8.33

31.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.71 SAR 6.42

-1.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.64 SAR 6.15

37.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.58 SAR 5.94

31.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.12 SAR 4.21

34.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.16 SAR 4.35

18.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.33 SAR 4.98

-19.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.62 SAR 2.31

-16.13%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 SAR 5.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.96

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$7.58 SAR 28.46

-44.59%

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)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.91 SAR 3.41

59.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$38.54 SAR 145

47.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.74 SAR 10.27

10.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$2.74 SAR 10.28

-62.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$13.10 SAR 49.16

-71.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.64 SAR 2.40

129.69%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

-7.90%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$21.5K SAR 80.5K

24.39%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$131 SAR 493

-26.61%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$32.48 SAR 122

-65.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$62.9 SAR 236

-73.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$72.9 SAR 273

-7.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$28.56 SAR 107

-62.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$13.54 SAR 50.8

-44.61%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$416 SAR 1,560

14.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$8,051 SAR 30.2K

39.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$42.09 SAR 158

48.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$50.5 SAR 189

-43.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$96.1 SAR 361

-1.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$92.6 SAR 348

-7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$535 SAR 2,008

33.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$387 SAR 1,450

27.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$970 SAR 3,641

98.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$670 SAR 2,513

113.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$962 SAR 3,611

333.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$707 SAR 2,653

330.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$1,475 SAR 5,537

-65.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.9

-5.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ad Dammam: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Ad Dammam

$386 31.8% 21.3% $104

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Ad Dammam

$201 16.5% 24.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Ad Dammam

$227 18.6% 82.1% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ad Dammam

$127 10.4% 3.8% $4.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ad Dammam

$117 9.7% 3.5% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Ad Dammam

$100 8.2% 21.5% $18

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Ad Dammam

$59 4.8% 17% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $535 in Ad Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ad Dammam pays about 2.9 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $34 in Ad Dammam. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $201, with Ad Dammam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇦 Ad Dammam

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

07:04 7:04 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

903,312

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ad Dammam 5,490 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ad Dammam

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

Phuket vs Ad Dammam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ad Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $535 in Ad Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,217 in Ad Dammam – Ad Dammam is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ad Dammam runs roughly 32% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ad Dammam 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, Phuket and Ad Dammam are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.