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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,160 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,745 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,330 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than in Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Al-hawiyah 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$7.65 SAR 28.72

-39.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$35.06 SAR 132

-8.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.51 SAR 28.19

15.58%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 SAR 7.03

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.55 SAR 13.34

-18.31%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.75 SAR 2.80

12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.24 SAR 0.90

104.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.48 SAR 5.55

27.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.14 SAR 4.29

23.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.03 SAR 7.61

-20.20%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.46 SAR 9.24

-8.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$7.50 SAR 28.18

164.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$9.10 SAR 34.18

-61.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$12.05 SAR 45.27

-5.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.43 SAR 9.14

19.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.90 SAR 7.15

-9.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.50 SAR 5.63

51.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.76 SAR 6.61

21.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.18 SAR 4.42

24.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.33 SAR 4.98

6.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.10 SAR 4.12

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.49 SAR 1.83

22.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.08 SAR 11.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$7.28 SAR 27.35

-40.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.06 SAR 3.98

112.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$34.68 SAR 130

-32.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.53 SAR 9.51

22.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.87 SAR 7.02

-42.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$13.31 SAR 49.97

-70.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.68 SAR 2.57

110.29%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$51.5K SAR 193.2K

-46.00%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$24.1K SAR 90.5K

11.99%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$96.1 SAR 361

9.04%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$35.07 SAR 132

-67.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$75.0 SAR 282

-76.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$73.8 SAR 277

-26.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$36.53 SAR 137

-68.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$14.42 SAR 54.2

-46.05%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$307 SAR 1,154

87.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$7,609 SAR 28.6K

52.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$56.9 SAR 214

11.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$62.7 SAR 236

-53.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$95.3 SAR 358

0.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$76.5 SAR 287

17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$579 SAR 2,174

26.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$330 SAR 1,241

51.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$789 SAR 2,963

169.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$596 SAR 2,237

110.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,128 SAR 7,994

66.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,547 SAR 5,811

69.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.47

1.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $579 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Al-hawiyah. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $203, with Al-hawiyah cheaper for home cooking.

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-hawiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Al-hawiyah differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,160 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,739 in Al-hawiyah 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: $733 in Phuket versus $579 in Al-hawiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $1,160 in Al-hawiyah – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,160 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Al-hawiyah 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-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.