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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $462 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $728 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $993 in Al `arish.

Living in Phuket is roughly 175% more expensive than Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Al `arish 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿151

$3.87 E£204

20.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,505

$14.03 E£738

231.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿281

$5.48 E£288

58.39%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.5

$1.41 E£74.0

109.22%

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

$0.70 ฿22.65

$0.41 E£21.62

70.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.77

$0.15 E£7.82

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿82.1

$1.27 E£66.6

99.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$1.94 E£102

94.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.8

$0.93 E£48.84

138.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿58.2

$0.47 E£24.59

282.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.8

$0.71 E£37.09

208.45%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.9

$1.49 E£78.3

55.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿627

$1.98 E£104

876.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿122

$4.09 E£215

-7.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿428

$8.27 E£435

59.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿108

$1.46 E£76.6

128.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.4

$0.60 E£31.43

175.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿74.2

$0.38 E£20.11

502.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.4

$0.40 E£20.85

397.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.51

$0.50 E£26.37

206.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿49.04

$0.53 E£27.71

184.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.30

$0.29 E£15.45

255.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.66

$0.15 E£8.09

240.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿143

$1.97 E£104

123.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿629

$4.29 E£226

352.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.3

$1.45 E£76.0

24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.8

$1.65 E£87.0

62.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.37

$0.17 E£9.01

741.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿379

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿98.4

$0.31 E£16.46

880.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.56

$0.23 E£12.03

352.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿443

$1.93 E£101

608.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿42.08

$0.33 E£17.36

293.94%

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

$27.9K ฿903.9K

$30.1K E£1.6M

-7.20%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$35.9K E£1.9M

-7.94%

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

$123 ฿3,984

$19.29 E£1,015

537.48%

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

$13.82 ฿448

$7.42 E£390

86.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿611

$10.77 E£567

75.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,981

$21.96 E£1,155

178.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿545

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿287

$6.75 E£355

31.41%

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

$696 ฿22.6K

$97.2 E£5,114

616.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿520.3K

$2,652 E£139.5K

505.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,921

$17.46 E£918

239.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,129

$62.3 E£3,279

-44.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,667

$83.5 E£4,392

35.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,756

$51.8 E£2,725

64.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.9K

$191 E£10.1K

221.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.5K

$99.0 E£5,209

352.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.6K

$309 E£16.3K

574.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.5K

$178 E£9,340

742.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿121.0K

$748 E£39.4K

399.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿86.2K

$397 E£20.9K

570.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

23.33

-77.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $14 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $113 per month, with Al `arish 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 `arish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al `arish wins on cost – living expenses run 175% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al `arish the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $694 in Al `arish 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 `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 158% 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 $462 in Al `arish – a 175% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $462 in Al `arish versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al `arish but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Al `arish the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al `arish delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $462 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al `arish hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Al `arish 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 `arish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.