Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ar-rass

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Ar-rass: $1,207 and $1,154 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Ar-rass
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Ar-rass Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Ar-rass

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,154

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ar-rass

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,154 in Ar-rass.

Phuket $1,207
Ar-rass $1,154

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,690 in Ar-rass.

Phuket $2,037
Ar-rass $1,690

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $2,226 in Ar-rass.

Phuket $2,867
Ar-rass $2,226

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than in Ar-rass, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Ar-rass 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$6.16 SAR 23.12

-25.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$37.47 SAR 141

-13.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$7.90 SAR 29.65

8.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 SAR 8.58

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$3.25 SAR 12.18

-16.31%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.91 SAR 3.41

3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.26 SAR 0.98

88.46%

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

$1.81 SAR 6.81

-3.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.39 SAR 1.45

266.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.92 SAR 7.19

-20.31%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.60 SAR 13.52

-39.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$7.00 SAR 26.28

173.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$8.05 SAR 30.20

-59.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$12.79 SAR 47.99

-12.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.24 SAR 8.41

31.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.76 SAR 6.60

-4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.57 SAR 5.91

46.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.57 SAR 5.89

35.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.16 SAR 4.37

31.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.36 SAR 5.11

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.28 SAR 4.79

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.57 SAR 2.14

-3.51%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.26 SAR 12.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 SAR 7.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 SAR 8.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$7.53 SAR 28.27

-43.43%

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

$0.98 SAR 3.69

126.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$34.39 SAR 129

-35.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.59 SAR 9.72

12.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.87 SAR 7.02

-45.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$11.84 SAR 44.42

-67.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.65 SAR 2.44

129.23%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$43.1K SAR 161.7K

-38.10%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$20.9K SAR 78.3K

28.09%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$110 SAR 414

-9.88%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$23.87 SAR 89.6

-52.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$59.0 SAR 221

-70.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$44.88 SAR 168

16.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$13.43 SAR 50.4

-43.63%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$425 SAR 1,595

31.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$8,688 SAR 32.6K

32.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$42.84 SAR 161

46.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$62.4 SAR 234

-54.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$96.1 SAR 360

0.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$87.6 SAR 329

0.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$579 SAR 2,174

25.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$394 SAR 1,480

16.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$388 SAR 1,456

440.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$563 SAR 2,111

117.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$2,625 SAR 9,851

31.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,188 SAR 4,460

109.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$1,765 SAR 6,622

-72.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.54

0.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Ar-rass

$394 34.2% 14.3% $66

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Ar-rass

$198 17.1% 26.1% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Ar-rass

$193 16.7% 50.8% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Ar-rass

$130 11.3% 4.8% $5.9

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Ar-rass

$117 10.1% 3.9% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Ar-rass

$72 6.2% 6.4% $4.3

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Ar-rass

$50 4.4% 29.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $579 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 258% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Ar-rass. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $198, with Ar-rass cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇦 Ar-rass

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

18:10 6:10 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

121,359

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ar-rass 6,120 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ar-rass

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 Ar-rass: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Ar-rass differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,207 vs $1,154 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 258% lower in Ar-rass. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $579 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $425 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,154 in Ar-rass versus $1,207 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 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.