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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $455 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $729 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,004 in Al `arish.

Living in Phuket is roughly 178% more expensive than in Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Al `arish 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.98 E£200

12.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$13.71 E£690

232.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.38 E£271

62.83%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.46 E£73.5

103.42%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.39 E£19.59

76.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.13 E£6.38

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.27 E£63.8

99.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.94 E£97.8

93.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.97 E£49.00

121.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.51 E£25.83

256.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.77 E£38.49

183.12%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.49 E£75.1

51.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$2.06 E£103

870.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.17 E£210

-12.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.19 E£412

65.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.41 E£70.9

129.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.56 E£28.06

192.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.36 E£17.90

547.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.40 E£20.03

417.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.50 E£25.03

210.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.50 E£25.13

192.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.27 E£13.39

262.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.18 E£9.01

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$1.88 E£94.8

131.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.33 E£218

328.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.40 E£70.5

32.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.72 E£86.6

54.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.18 E£9.15

688.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.29 E£14.54

993.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.25 E£12.65

312.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.96 E£98.8

608.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.33 E£16.72

306.06%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$31.1K E£1.6M

-10.63%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$36.7K E£1.8M

-8.94%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$19.44 E£978

532.97%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$7.34 E£369

87.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$10.74 E£540

70.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$22.66 E£1,140

167.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.81 E£342

30.25%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$94.7 E£4,765

626.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$2,649 E£133.3K

495.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$16.88 E£849

251.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$61.6 E£3,096

-43.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$85.0 E£4,277

35.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$51.2 E£2,577

63.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$187 E£9,427

231.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$101 E£5,084

341.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$305 E£15.4K

566.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$178 E£8,969

739.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$792 E£39.9K

336.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$441 E£22.2K

474.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $187 in Al `arish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $114 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 178% 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 $1,896 in Phuket and $683 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: $621 in Phuket versus $187 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 155% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $455 in Al `arish – a 178% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $455 in Al `arish versus $1,264 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 $455 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 178% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.