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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $483 in Al `alamayn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $758 in Al `alamayn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,033 in Al `alamayn.

Living in Phuket is roughly 163% more expensive than Al `alamayn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Al `alamayn 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿151

$5.96 E£314

-21.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,505

$13.66 E£719

239.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿281

$4.05 E£213

114.32%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.5

$0.93 E£49.16

217.20%

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

$0.70 ฿22.65

$0.35 E£18.15

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.77

$0.11 E£5.78

254.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿82.1

$1.16 E£61.0

118.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.00 E£158

26.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.8

$0.99 E£52.3

124.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿58.2

$0.29 E£15.01

520.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.8

$0.58 E£30.60

277.59%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.9

$1.48 E£78.0

56.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿627

$2.41 E£127

702.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿122

$4.34 E£228

-13.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿428

$7.55 E£397

75.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿108

$1.34 E£70.5

148.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.4

$0.56 E£29.51

194.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿74.2

$0.47 E£24.93

387.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.4

$0.27 E£14.34

637.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.51

$0.33 E£17.19

363.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿49.04

$0.44 E£23.24

243.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.30

$0.34 E£17.79

202.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.66

$0.23 E£12.11

121.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿143

$1.92 E£101

129.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿629

$4.27 E£225

354.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.3

$1.36 E£71.6

32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.8

$1.80 E£94.9

48.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.37

$0.16 E£8.56

793.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿379

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿98.4

$0.38 E£20.22

700.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.56

$0.29 E£15.04

258.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿443

$0.98 E£51.5

1295.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿42.08

$0.32 E£16.94

306.25%

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

$27.9K ฿903.9K

$35.5K E£1.9M

-21.51%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$33.1K E£1.7M

-0.20%

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

$123 ฿3,984

$24.46 E£1,287

402.74%

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

$13.82 ฿448

$9.84 E£518

40.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿611

$15.91 E£837

18.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,981

$21.99 E£1,157

178.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿545

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿287

$2.91 E£153

204.81%

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

$696 ฿22.6K

$32.53 E£1,711

2040.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿520.3K

$1,841 E£96.8K

772.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,921

$17.98 E£946

229.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,129

$43.35 E£2,280

-19.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,667

$114 E£6,000

-0.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,756

$75.0 E£3,943

13.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.9K

$191 E£10.0K

223.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.5K

$98.6 E£5,188

354.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.6K

$309 E£16.2K

575.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.5K

$181 E£9,515

727.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿121.0K

$819 E£43.1K

355.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿86.2K

$462 E£24.3K

475.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-73.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Al `alamayn: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $191 in Al `alamayn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $14 in Al `alamayn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $111 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 163% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $725 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: $615 in Phuket versus $191 in Al `alamayn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 163% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,270 per month in Phuket versus $483 in Al `alamayn – a 163% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $483 in Al `alamayn versus $1,270 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 163% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.