🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,341 in Al Khobar.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,136 in Al Khobar.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,931 in Al Khobar.
🙂Living in Phuket costs roughly 8% less than in Al Khobar, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Al Khobar is 0% above.
Moneda
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Al Khobar
Diferencia
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63฿151
$6.80SAR 25.51
-31.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84฿1,532
$52.4SAR 196
-10.59%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿289
$7.81SAR 29.27
13.19%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.03SAR 7.63
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.73SAR 10.23
-
Cappuccino
$3.00฿98.0
$4.23SAR 15.84
-29.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74฿24.25
$1.02SAR 3.84
-27.45%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.95
$0.49SAR 1.83
-24.49%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.44฿79.8
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61฿118
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Al Khobar
Diferencia
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿73.9
$1.77SAR 6.63
27.68%
White Bread(500g)
$1.84฿60.1
$1.34SAR 5.02
37.31%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24฿73.4
$2.40SAR 9.01
-6.67%
Eggs
$2.32฿75.7
$2.82SAR 10.57
-17.73%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.67฿643
$6.88SAR 25.80
185.90%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿119
$9.05SAR 33.93
-59.67%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.10฿428
$12.37SAR 46.39
5.90%
Apples(1kg)
$3.39฿111
$2.43SAR 9.11
39.51%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64฿53.7
$1.73SAR 6.47
-5.20%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41฿79.0
$2.21SAR 8.29
9.05%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿66.4
$1.62SAR 6.08
25.31%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56฿50.9
$1.43SAR 5.36
9.09%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿48.94
$1.72SAR 6.46
-12.79%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02฿33.50
$1.71SAR 6.40
-40.35%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49฿16.00
$0.59SAR 2.23
-16.95%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
-
$2.72SAR 10.21
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.47SAR 5.50
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.87SAR 7.02
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45฿145
$6.59SAR 24.71
-32.47%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.88฿617
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿58.1
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75฿90.1
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Al Khobar
Diferencia
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.40฿45.81
$0.91SAR 3.40
53.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.48฿376
$59.5SAR 223
-80.71%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.12฿102
$2.21SAR 8.29
41.18%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00฿32.67
$1.31SAR 4.90
-23.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.09฿461
$6.69SAR 25.08
110.61%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.35฿44.19
$0.63SAR 2.38
114.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K฿888.9K
$21.0KSAR 78.7K
29.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K฿1.1M
$23.1KSAR 86.5K
42.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Al Khobar
Diferencia
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125฿4,087
$123SAR 461
1.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57฿444
$34.30SAR 129
-60.44%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52฿606
$80.9SAR 303
-77.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Al Khobar
Diferencia
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.5฿2,010
$109SAR 409
-43.67%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84฿551
$36.07SAR 135
-53.31%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19฿300
$17.15SAR 64.3
-46.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Al Khobar
Diferencia
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698฿22.8K
$306SAR 1,147
128.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.6K฿509.9K
$7,552SAR 28.3K
106.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Al Khobar
Diferencia
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8฿1,889
$62.9SAR 236
-8.23%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24฿1,152
$68.8SAR 258
-48.74%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113฿3,699
$99.1SAR 372
14.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4฿2,825
$79.1SAR 297
9.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Al Khobar
Diferencia
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$616฿20.1K
$437SAR 1,639
40.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446฿14.6K
$394SAR 1,479
13.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,048฿67.0K
$1,054SAR 3,952
94.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492฿48.8K
$788SAR 2,955
89.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,779฿123.6K
$2,411SAR 9,040
56.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,649฿86.6K
$1,432SAR 5,370
84.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Al Khobar
Diferencia
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$524฿17.1K
$1,942SAR 7,283
-73.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
3.84
38.80%
Los datos de CityCost se basan en IA y aportaciones de usuarios. Puede haber pequeñas variaciones.
Última actualización para Phuket: April 27, 2026
Última actualización para Al Khobar: April 26, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $437 in Al Khobar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Al Khobar pays 271% 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 $52.0 in Al Khobar. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $216, with Al Khobar cheaper for home cooking.
Comparación de velocidades medias de internet por ciudad (actualizado April 2026)
El gráfico resalta el umbral de precisión para velocidades de internet móvil y fija, actualizado trimestralmente.
Índice del coste de vida para nómadas digitales
Phuket vs Al Khobar: Coste de vida - preguntas frecuentes
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Al Khobar?
Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 9% 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.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or Al Khobar?
On paper, Al Khobar earns 271% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket vs Al Khobar?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $437 in Al Khobar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Phuket vs Al Khobar?
A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 418% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Phuket and Al Khobar?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $306 in Al Khobar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or Al Khobar?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,341 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Al Khobar?
Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.
How safe is Phuket compared to Al Khobar?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.