Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ar-rass Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ar-rass

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,166 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,758 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,350 in Ar-rass.

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than Ar-rass, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ar-rass 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.60 SAR 24.75

-29.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$44.21 SAR 166

5.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.18 SAR 30.67

8.07%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.84

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.71 SAR 13.93

-19.14%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.78 SAR 2.93

-5.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.31 SAR 1.17

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.36 SAR 8.84

-4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.00 SAR 3.75

84.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.50 SAR 5.61

49.33%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.69 SAR 13.85

-37.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.75 SAR 25.30

191.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.50 SAR 28.13

-51.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$12.87 SAR 48.28

1.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.18 SAR 8.16

55.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.59 SAR 5.96

3.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.72 SAR 6.45

40.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.62 SAR 6.07

25.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.29 SAR 4.83

20.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.27 SAR 4.76

18.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.24 SAR 4.63

-17.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.55 SAR 2.06

-10.91%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.44 SAR 9.16

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.59

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.41 SAR 24.03

-30.58%

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

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.09 SAR 4.09

28.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$39.57 SAR 148

-70.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.63 SAR 9.87

18.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.92 SAR 7.18

-47.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$13.15 SAR 49.30

7.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.58 SAR 2.18

132.76%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.9K SAR 101.0K

0.96%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.6K SAR 84.6K

45.95%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$107 SAR 402

16.50%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$33.09 SAR 124

-58.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$73.0 SAR 274

-74.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$44.27 SAR 166

38.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$36.20 SAR 136

-53.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$15.94 SAR 59.8

-42.35%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$354 SAR 1,327

97.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,915 SAR 25.9K

125.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$21.12 SAR 79.2

173.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$61.1 SAR 229

-42.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$78.2 SAR 293

44.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$82.6 SAR 310

4.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$435 SAR 1,631

41.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$382 SAR 1,431

16.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$385 SAR 1,444

431.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$634 SAR 2,377

135.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,374 SAR 8,901

59.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,509 SAR 5,661

75.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,724 SAR 6,465

-69.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.42

20.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $435 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 229% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $204 per month, with Ar-rass cheaper across the board.

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 Ar-rass: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Ar-rass differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,166 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ar-rass earns 229% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $435 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $354 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,166 in Ar-rass versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.