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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,387 in Ar-rawdah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,324 in Ar-rawdah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,261 in Ar-rawdah.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 10% less than in Ar-rawdah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Ar-rawdah is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$9.76 KWD 3.02

-53.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$80.3 KWD 24.89

-42.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$9.16 KWD 2.84

-3.49%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 KWD 0.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 KWD 1.11

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$5.88 KWD 1.82

-47.96%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.64 KWD 0.20

14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.38 KWD 0.12

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.60 KWD 0.50

41.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.26 KWD 0.39

43.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.72 KWD 0.53

30.81%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.09 KWD 0.65

7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$5.25 KWD 1.63

271.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.43 KWD 1.99

-43.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.13 KWD 3.14

28.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.41 KWD 0.75

34.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.95 KWD 0.60

-16.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.80 KWD 0.56

32.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.45 KWD 0.45

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.23 KWD 0.38

24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.28 KWD 0.40

17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.69 KWD 0.52

-42.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.48 KWD 0.15

8.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.31 KWD 1.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.00 KWD 0.93

48.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.88 KWD 0.27

60.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$43.51 KWD 13.48

-73.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.34 KWD 1.04

-6.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.28 KWD 1.02

-68.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$16.02 KWD 4.96

-11.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.34 KWD 0.10

285.29%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$21.2K KWD 6,581

30.99%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$19.9K KWD 6,177

66.66%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$61.9 KWD 19.17

97.93%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$18.84 KWD 5.84

-27.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$26.31 KWD 8.15

-28.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$93.4 KWD 28.93

-35.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$45.48 KWD 14.09

-62.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$11.60 KWD 3.59

-21.81%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$408 KWD 126

73.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$6,519 KWD 2,020

142.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$42.73 KWD 13.24

37.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$42.53 KWD 13.18

-16.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$87.0 KWD 26.96

32.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$81.9 KWD 25.39

2.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$788 KWD 244

-20.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$620 KWD 192

-28.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,601 KWD 496

27.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,291 KWD 400

15.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,628 KWD 505

58.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.14

-25.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ar-rawdah: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $788 in Ar-rawdah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $80.0 in Ar-rawdah. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $179, with Ar-rawdah 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 Ar-rawdah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Ar-rawdah. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $2,080 in Ar-rawdah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $788 in Ar-rawdah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Ar-rawdah pay roughly 61% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $80.0 in Ar-rawdah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,387 in Ar-rawdah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ar-rawdah. 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 $1,250 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ar-rawdah 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 11% less than in Ar-rawdah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.