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 $1,242 per month in Phuket vs $472 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,078 per month in Phuket vs $755 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $1,037 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

Phuket costs about 163% more than Al-hawamidiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Al-hawamidiyah are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Al-hawamidiyah 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.60 ฿154

$3.95 E£198

16.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.86 ฿1,164

$16.01 E£802

117.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.57 ฿286

$4.48 E£224

91.29%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ฿94.1

$1.35 E£67.8

108.89%

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

$0.78 ฿25.99

$0.34 E£17.04

129.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.89

$0.14 E£7.07

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿80.9

$1.37 E£68.4

76.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.04 E£152

22.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿59.7

$0.87 E£43.38

105.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.93

$0.77 E£38.32

83.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.3

$0.63 E£31.72

153.97%

Eggs

$2.20 ฿73.6

$1.18 E£59.3

86.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.64 ฿656

$3.96 E£198

395.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.50 ฿117

$4.47 E£224

-21.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 ฿375

$9.32 E£466

20.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 ฿95.6

$1.54 E£77.0

85.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.78 E£38.84

115.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿77.1

$0.57 E£28.50

305.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿70.1

$0.35 E£17.69

500.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 ฿49.36

$0.25 E£12.46

492.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.94

$0.33 E£16.59

309.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.90

$0.26 E£12.98

311.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ฿19.24

$0.22 E£11.02

163.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿144

$1.98 E£99.4

117.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.67 ฿624

$6.15 E£308

203.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿59.7

$1.32 E£65.9

35.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ฿92.6

$2.75 E£138

0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 ฿73.0

$0.19 E£9.35

1052.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.98 ฿767

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.62 E£30.98

388.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.47 E£23.55

117.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 ฿131

$1.96 E£98.1

99.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.69

$0.44 E£22.00

225.00%

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

$27.2K ฿908.9K

$33.4K E£1.7M

-18.60%

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

$26.9K ฿897.7K

$29.4K E£1.5M

-8.72%

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

$102 ฿3,413

$14.72 E£737

594.29%

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

$10.95 ฿366

$7.27 E£364

50.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.06 ฿570

$14.14 E£708

20.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 ฿1,777

$21.31 E£1,067

149.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.11 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 ฿261

$3.06 E£153

155.56%

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

$552 ฿18.4K

$86.8 E£4,345

536.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K ฿381.8K

$2,158 E£108.1K

429.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,083

$31.18 E£1,561

99.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.98 ฿968

$47.84 E£2,396

-39.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 ฿3,261

$129 E£6,470

-24.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 ฿2,951

$58.8 E£2,944

50.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 ฿24.9K

$147 E£7,345

408.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 ฿16.0K

$74.9 E£3,751

541.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 ฿70.5K

$266 E£13.3K

694.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 ฿39.9K

$153 E£7,666

680.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,579 ฿119.5K

$788 E£39.5K

354.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,576 ฿86.0K

$410 E£20.5K

528.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

21.33

-73.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 3, 2026

Last update for Al-hawamidiyah: August 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $746 in Phuket versus $147 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 $35.00 in Phuket versus $16.00 in Al-hawamidiyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $132 – 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 163% 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 $1,863 per month in Phuket and $709 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 $35.00 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 106% 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 $472, than in Phuket at $1,242. 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 $472 versus $1,242 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.