Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al-jahra' Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al-jahra'

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,431 in Al-jahra'.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $2,460 in Al-jahra'.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $3,489 in Al-jahra'.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 15% less than in Al-jahra', driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Al-jahra' is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$10.01 KWD 3.07

-54.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$81.5 KWD 25.00

-42.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$9.20 KWD 2.82

-7.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 KWD 0.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 KWD 1.15

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$6.06 KWD 1.86

-49.17%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.66 KWD 0.20

3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.34 KWD 0.11

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.55 KWD 0.48

41.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.24 KWD 0.38

45.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.72 KWD 0.53

29.65%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.03 KWD 0.62

10.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$5.10 KWD 1.56

284.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$6.53 KWD 2.01

-43.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$10.36 KWD 3.18

30.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.34 KWD 0.72

43.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.89 KWD 0.58

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.75 KWD 0.54

37.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.44 KWD 0.44

38.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.26 KWD 0.39

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.26 KWD 0.39

15.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.62 KWD 0.50

-37.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.45 KWD 0.14

6.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.20 KWD 0.98

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.02 KWD 0.93

41.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.90 KWD 0.28

57.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$43.64 KWD 13.39

-73.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$3.25 KWD 1.00

-7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$3.16 KWD 0.97

-66.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$16.47 KWD 5.06

-15.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$0.34 KWD 0.10

279.41%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$21.3K KWD 6,534

31.68%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$19.8K KWD 6,080

69.10%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$19.85 KWD 6.09

514.51%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$18.67 KWD 5.73

-25.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$25.52 KWD 7.83

-26.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$193 KWD 59.2

-68.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$47.16 KWD 14.47

-64.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$11.43 KWD 3.51

-22.22%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$403 KWD 124

71.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$6,653 KWD 2,042

142.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$41.71 KWD 12.80

38.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$42.62 KWD 13.08

-16.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$86.9 KWD 26.68

30.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$83.3 KWD 25.56

-0.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$792 KWD 243

-23.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$612 KWD 188

-26.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$1,543 KWD 473

31.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$1,294 KWD 397

15.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$2,961 KWD 909

-82.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.14

-25.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Al-jahra': June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $792 in Al-jahra'. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al-jahra' pays 487% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $81.0 in Al-jahra'. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $177, with Al-jahra' 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-jahra': Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Al-jahra' earns 487% less. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $792 in Al-jahra'. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $403 in Al-jahra'. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Al-jahra' pay roughly 65% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,431 in Al-jahra', a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Al-jahra'. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Al-jahra', and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Al-jahra' 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Al-jahra'. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.