Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al `alamayn Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al `alamayn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $444 in Al `alamayn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $720 in Al `alamayn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $997 in Al `alamayn.

Living in Phuket is roughly 177% more expensive than in Al `alamayn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Al `alamayn 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.79 E£250

-7.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$14.62 E£762

120.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$3.07 E£160

190.88%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.41 E£73.4

105.67%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.38 E£19.69

131.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.12 E£6.30

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.38 E£72.1

70.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.57 E£134

44.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.99 E£51.9

88.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.29 E£15.10

406.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.58 E£30.05

167.24%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.36 E£70.7

54.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$2.91 E£152

573.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.02 E£210

-14.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$7.68 E£400

48.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.63 E£84.8

82.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.66 E£34.58

154.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.50 E£25.93

342.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.34 E£17.70

535.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.37 E£19.09

310.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.40 E£20.75

235.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.41 E£21.51

175.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.22 E£11.48

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.19 E£114

94.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$6.20 E£323

207.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.33 E£69.2

33.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.77 E£92.5

57.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.17 E£8.93

1211.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.32 E£16.88

846.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.46 E£24.18

121.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$0.92 E£48.09

322.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.43 E£22.36

246.51%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$32.7K E£1.7M

-18.83%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$23.6K E£1.2M

14.62%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$22.04 E£1,150

364.93%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$4.03 E£210

181.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$8.59 E£448

102.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$17.52 E£914

197.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$2.95 E£154

160.68%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$32.79 E£1,710

1609.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$1,922 E£100.2K

498.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$16.54 E£863

281.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$45.24 E£2,359

-34.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$105 E£5,453

-6.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$86.7 E£4,519

2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$151 E£7,878

388.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$72.5 E£3,781

565.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$261 E£13.6K

708.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$126 E£6,586

870.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$848 E£44.2K

326.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$410 E£21.4K

535.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-78.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Al `alamayn: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $151 in Al `alamayn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Al `alamayn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $117 per month, with Al `alamayn 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

Phuket vs Al `alamayn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al `alamayn is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 177% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $666 in Al `alamayn to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $151 in Al `alamayn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 134% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $444 in Al `alamayn – a 177% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $444 in Al `alamayn versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al `alamayn but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Al `alamayn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al `alamayn is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Al `alamayn 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 Al `alamayn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.