Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al Khobar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al Khobar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,346 in Al Khobar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,152 in Al Khobar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,958 in Al Khobar.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 6% less than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Al Khobar is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$6.67 SAR 25.03

-31.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$52.7 SAR 198

-11.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$8.04 SAR 30.18

5.35%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 SAR 10.09

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.34 SAR 16.30

-30.18%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.94 SAR 3.53

-26.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.51 SAR 1.92

-27.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.70 SAR 6.38

28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.40 SAR 5.25

35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.30 SAR 8.64

-4.35%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.92 SAR 10.96

-23.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.70 SAR 25.15

198.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$9.28 SAR 34.81

-60.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$12.58 SAR 47.21

5.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.49 SAR 9.33

29.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.74 SAR 6.54

-2.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.23 SAR 8.38

7.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.63 SAR 6.10

27.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.42 SAR 5.33

11.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-13.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.71 SAR 6.41

-39.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.63 SAR 2.35

-17.46%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.61 SAR 9.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SAR 5.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SAR 7.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.81 SAR 25.55

-37.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.97 SAR 3.63

40.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$61.2 SAR 230

-81.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.19 SAR 8.21

43.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.30 SAR 4.87

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.56 SAR 24.62

109.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.61 SAR 2.29

119.67%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.5K SAR 80.8K

28.47%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$23.4K SAR 87.8K

44.65%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$125 SAR 468

-0.92%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$34.88 SAR 131

-61.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$81.1 SAR 304

-76.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$109 SAR 410

-43.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$36.43 SAR 137

-52.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$17.66 SAR 66.3

-48.24%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$304 SAR 1,140

131.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$7,640 SAR 28.7K

107.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$64.5 SAR 242

-7.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$69.2 SAR 260

-49.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$99.5 SAR 373

15.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$78.1 SAR 293

7.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$439 SAR 1,648

40.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$405 SAR 1,521

6.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,020 SAR 3,829

102.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$811 SAR 3,043

86.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,399 SAR 9,003

51.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,466 SAR 5,502

79.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,861 SAR 6,983

-72.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.84

38.80%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Al Khobar: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $439 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 267% 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 $53.0 in Al Khobar. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $218, with Al Khobar 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 Khobar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Al Khobar earns 267% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $439 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 439% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $304 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,346 in Al Khobar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Al Khobar 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 7% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.