Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al Hidd

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,780 in Al Hidd, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Al Hidd outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Al Hidd
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Al Hidd Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Al Hidd

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,780

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Al Hidd

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Al Hidd actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,780 in Al Hidd.

Phuket $1,278
Al Hidd $1,780

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,128 in Al Hidd.

Phuket $2,216
Al Hidd $2,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,475 in Al Hidd.

Phuket $3,154
Al Hidd $2,475

Living in Phuket costs roughly 28% less than in Al Hidd, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Al Hidd is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$5.43 BHD 2.03

-17.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$39.19 BHD 14.66

-17.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.49 BHD 2.80

17.62%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.68 BHD 1.38

-23.10%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.76 BHD 0.29

14.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.12 BHD 0.05

308.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$6.50 BHD 2.43

-60.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$9.76 BHD 3.65

-62.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.38 BHD 0.52

20.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.06 BHD 0.40

37.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.36 BHD 0.88

-36.44%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.30 BHD 0.86

-9.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.53 BHD 3.19

123.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.38 BHD 2.01

-38.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$5.26 BHD 1.97

107.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.39 BHD 0.89

22.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.35 BHD 0.88

-28.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.94 BHD 0.73

15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.39 BHD 0.52

49.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.02 BHD 0.38

48.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.42 BHD 0.53

-2.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.48 BHD 0.55

-27.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.79 BHD 0.29

-34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.39 BHD 2.02

-22.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$18.32 BHD 6.85

2.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$3.48 BHD 1.30

-47.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.63 BHD 0.98

7.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$1.58 BHD 0.59

-8.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$52.3 BHD 19.56

8.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$5.26 BHD 1.97

-42.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$3.54 BHD 1.33

-71.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$15.60 BHD 5.84

-76.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.62 BHD 0.23

137.10%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$19.8K BHD 7,399

35.35%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$19.7K BHD 7,376

35.33%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$153 BHD 57.3

-37.11%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$24.65 BHD 9.22

-54.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$35.06 BHD 13.11

-51.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$53.0 BHD 19.82

-79.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$10.55 BHD 3.94

-28.91%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$633 BHD 237

-24.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$10.9K BHD 4,081

3.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$50.3 BHD 18.79

24.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$57.8 BHD 21.63

-50.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$88.6 BHD 33.15

6.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$89.5 BHD 33.46

-4.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$668 BHD 250

7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$937 BHD 351

-47.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$803 BHD 300

139.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$670 BHD 251

113.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$1,947 BHD 728

-74.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.21

-10.31%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Al Hidd: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Al Hidd

$937 52.7% 90.9% $446

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Al Hidd

$233 13.1% 12.6% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Al Hidd

$213 12% 71.1% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Al Hidd

$129 7.2% 5.7% $6.9

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Al Hidd

$166 9.3% 36.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Al Hidd

$21 * 1.2% 74.4% $61

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Al Hidd

$82 4.6% 15.6% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $668 in Al Hidd. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Hidd pays about 3.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $39 in Al Hidd. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $233, with Al Hidd cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇭 Al Hidd

🕒 Local time

15:48 3:48 PM

11:48 11:48 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

12,797

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BHD = 2.67 USD

1 BHD = 2.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.374 BHD (1 BHD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 0.417 BHD (1 BHD = 2.4 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Al Hidd 5,430 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Al Hidd

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Hidd: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 28% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 74% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $668 in Al Hidd. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Al Hidd runs roughly 8% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $633 in Al Hidd. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,780 in Al Hidd, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Al Hidd. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Hidd are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Al Hidd on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.