Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al-hawamidiyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al-hawamidiyah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Phuket vs $465 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,304 per month in Phuket vs $755 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,339 per month in Phuket vs $1,045 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

Phuket costs about 173% more than Al-hawamidiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Al-hawamidiyah are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Al-hawamidiyah 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿151

$3.62 E£190

28.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,505

$15.74 E£828

195.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿281

$4.70 E£247

84.68%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.5

$1.48 E£78.1

99.32%

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

$0.70 ฿22.65

$0.29 E£15.00

141.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.77

$0.12 E£6.36

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿82.1

$1.22 E£64.3

107.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.97 E£156

27.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.8

$0.86 E£45.36

158.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿58.2

$0.73 E£38.17

146.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.8

$0.65 E£34.09

236.92%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.9

$1.45 E£76.4

59.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿627

$3.95 E£208

389.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿122

$4.46 E£235

-15.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿428

$9.80 E£516

34.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿108

$1.43 E£75.3

132.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.4

$0.55 E£28.84

200.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿74.2

$0.42 E£22.27

445.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.4

$0.37 E£19.31

437.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.51

$0.38 E£19.98

302.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿49.04

$0.43 E£22.88

251.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.30

$0.24 E£12.68

329.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.66

$0.22 E£11.33

131.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿143

$2.02 E£106

118.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿629

$4.97 E£262

290.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.3

$1.42 E£74.5

26.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.8

$2.69 E£141

-0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.37

$0.19 E£10.10

652.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿379

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿98.4

$0.56 E£29.56

442.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.56

$0.46 E£24.07

126.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿443

$2.01 E£106

580.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿42.08

$0.31 E£16.15

319.35%

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

$27.9K ฿903.9K

$35.0K E£1.8M

-20.28%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$33.8K E£1.8M

-2.25%

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

$123 ฿3,984

$11.50 E£605

969.30%

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

$13.82 ฿448

$5.66 E£298

144.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿611

$10.09 E£531

86.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,981

$22.05 E£1,160

177.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿545

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿287

$3.03 E£160

192.74%

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

$696 ฿22.6K

$88.1 E£4,635

690.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿520.3K

$1,870 E£98.4K

758.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,921

$28.03 E£1,475

111.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,129

$48.65 E£2,560

-28.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,667

$106 E£5,601

6.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,756

$51.0 E£2,685

66.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.9K

$188 E£9,884

227.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.5K

$100 E£5,278

347.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.6K

$312 E£16.4K

568.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.5K

$176 E£9,264

749.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿121.0K

$764 E£40.2K

388.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿86.2K

$434 E£22.9K

512.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-68.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Al-hawamidiyah: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $615 in Phuket versus $188 in Al-hawamidiyah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Phuket versus $16 in Al-hawamidiyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $130 – making Al-hawamidiyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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-hawamidiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 173% more than Al-hawamidiyah, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Phuket and $698 in Al-hawamidiyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-hawamidiyah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $16.00 in Al-hawamidiyah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 125% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-hawamidiyah, where all-in costs run around $465, than in Phuket at $1,270. In Al-hawamidiyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Al-hawamidiyah costs $465 versus $1,270 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al-hawamidiyah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.