Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al-jahra'

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Al-jahra': $1,207 and $1,239 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Al-jahra'
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Al-jahra' Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Al-jahra'

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,239

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Al-jahra'

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-jahra' actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,239 in Al-jahra', rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Al-jahra' $1,239

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $2,292 in Al-jahra', rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Al-jahra' $2,292

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $3,344 in Al-jahra', rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Al-jahra' $3,344

Phuket is about 3% cheaper than Al-jahra', and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Al-jahra' are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Al-jahra' 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$12.85 KWD 3.96

-64.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$63.9 KWD 19.69

-49.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$8.99 KWD 2.77

-4.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 KWD 0.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 KWD 1.51

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$5.33 KWD 1.64

-48.97%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.74 KWD 0.23

27.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.31 KWD 0.10

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.63 KWD 0.50

6.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.46 KWD 0.45

-2.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.96 KWD 0.60

-21.94%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.11 KWD 0.65

2.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$4.24 KWD 1.31

351.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$6.79 KWD 2.09

-51.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$10.00 KWD 3.08

11.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.42 KWD 0.75

21.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.93 KWD 0.59

-12.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.85 KWD 0.57

24.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.55 KWD 0.48

37.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.31 KWD 0.40

16.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.41 KWD 0.44

-3.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$2.37 KWD 0.73

-52.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.58 KWD 0.18

-5.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.19 KWD 0.98

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.69 KWD 0.83

58.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.76 KWD 0.23

192.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$4.79 KWD 1.47

-39.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$3.17 KWD 0.98

-68.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$16.36 KWD 5.04

-76.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.33 KWD 0.10

351.52%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$21.3K KWD 6,548

25.53%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$20.6K KWD 6,335

29.91%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$20.20 KWD 6.22

391.93%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$22.31 KWD 6.87

-49.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$30.02 KWD 9.25

-42.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$98.2 KWD 30.25

-46.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$11.08 KWD 3.41

-31.68%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$296 KWD 91.1

88.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$9,351 KWD 2,881

22.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$37.34 KWD 11.51

68.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$39.13 KWD 12.05

-26.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$95.5 KWD 29.43

0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$87.1 KWD 26.84

1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$771 KWD 237

-5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$522 KWD 161

-11.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$1,693 KWD 522

23.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$1,520 KWD 468

-19.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$2,909 KWD 896

-83.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.53

-14.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Al-jahra': October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Al-jahra'

$522 42.2% 13.5% $62

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Al-jahra'

$186 15% 30.5% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Al-jahra'

$73 5.9% 43.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Al-jahra'

$117 9.4% 6% $7.5

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Al-jahra'

$198 16% 63.1% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Al-jahra'

$120 9.7% 78.5% $53

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Al-jahra'

$24 * 1.9% 39.1% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $771 in Al-jahra'. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 490% higher in Al-jahra', which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $64.0 in Al-jahra'. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $186 in Al-jahra' – so Al-jahra' wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇼 Al-jahra'

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

16:55 4:55 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

393,432

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KWD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.346 KWD (1 KWD = 2.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Al-jahra' 5,800 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Al-jahra'

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-jahra': Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Al-jahra' is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,859 in Al-jahra'. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, 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 $32.00 in Phuket and $64.0 in Al-jahra'. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 44% cheaper in Al-jahra' – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Al-jahra' at $1,239. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Al-jahra' it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Al-jahra' makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.