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 $1,223 per month in Phuket vs $471 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,237 per month in Phuket vs $760 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,251 per month in Phuket vs $1,049 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

Phuket costs about 160% 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

$4.51 ฿147

$3.59 E£180

25.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$16.02 E£802

191.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$4.76 E£238

78.36%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.43 E£71.6

115.38%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.31 E£15.60

119.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.10 E£5.20

260.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.16 E£58.0

109.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.91 E£146

24.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$0.80 E£39.94

173.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.73 E£36.57

147.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.71 E£35.61

214.08%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.43 E£71.6

56.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$3.80 E£190

415.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$4.55 E£228

-18.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$9.74 E£488

38.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.41 E£70.6

138.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$0.55 E£27.51

194.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$0.39 E£19.71

517.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$0.36 E£18.13

452.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.40 E£20.11

282.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.44 E£21.81

229.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.24 E£12.03

320.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.16 E£8.15

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$2.01 E£101

112.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$5.84 E£292

227.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.36 E£68.2

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.68 E£134

2.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.18 E£9.23

688.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.53 E£26.31

466.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.45 E£22.78

133.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$1.96 E£98.4

609.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$0.33 E£16.64

290.91%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$35.3K E£1.8M

-20.58%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$32.6K E£1.6M

2.89%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$11.26 E£564

983.30%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$5.60 E£281

148.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$9.98 E£500

89.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$22.05 E£1,104

177.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$2.92 E£146

204.45%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$87.6 E£4,385

689.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$1,856 E£92.9K

770.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$27.87 E£1,395

107.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$47.62 E£2,385

-25.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$108 E£5,384

5.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$50.6 E£2,531

64.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$190 E£9,529

218.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$100 E£5,027

346.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$307 E£15.4K

560.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$178 E£8,926

737.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$715 E£35.8K

401.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$392 E£19.6K

559.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Al-hawamidiyah: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Phuket versus $190 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $16.00 in Al-hawamidiyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 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 160% 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 $1,835 per month in Phuket and $707 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 $47.00 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 $471, than in Phuket at $1,223. 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 $471 versus $1,223 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.