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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $440 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $690 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $940 in Al `arish.

Living in Phuket is roughly 180% more expensive than in Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.10 E£214

7.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$14.22 E£741

126.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.76 E£248

87.61%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.19 E£62.3

143.70%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.36 E£18.68

144.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.13 E£6.64

269.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.47 E£76.9

59.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.84 E£148

30.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.87 E£45.42

114.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.34 E£17.99

332.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.63 E£33.07

146.03%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.39 E£72.6

51.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$2.38 E£124

723.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.90 E£204

-12.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$8.32 E£434

36.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.57 E£81.7

89.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.62 E£32.38

170.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.40 E£20.93

452.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.35 E£18.29

517.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.47 E£24.59

223.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.50 E£25.98

168.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.25 E£13.13

352.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.20 E£10.19

175.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.06 E£108

106.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$4.79 E£250

298.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.39 E£72.4

28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.68 E£87.8

65.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.21 E£10.90

961.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.41 E£21.41

639.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.37 E£19.09

175.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.91 E£99.7

103.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.43 E£22.28

246.51%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$32.8K E£1.7M

-18.92%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$27.3K E£1.4M

-1.04%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$16.85 E£879

508.13%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$7.52 E£392

50.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$19.33 E£1,008

-9.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$14.91 E£777

249.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.39 E£229

75.17%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$94.6 E£4,931

492.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$2,495 E£130.1K

361.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$16.79 E£875

275.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$59.8 E£3,117

-50.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$81.2 E£4,235

20.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$49.82 E£2,598

77.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$151 E£7,858

389.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$86.3 E£4,498

459.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$292 E£15.2K

621.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$166 E£8,678

636.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$677 E£35.3K

434.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$357 E£18.6K

628.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-72.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $112 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 180% 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 $1,847 in Phuket and $659 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: $738 in Phuket versus $151 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 143% 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 $440 in Al `arish – a 180% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $440 in Al `arish versus $1,232 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 $440 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 180% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.