Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dahab

For one person, living is cheaper in Dahab: $431 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Dahab

🇪🇬 Egypt

$431

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Dahab

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 Dahab actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $431 in Dahab, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Dahab $431

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $718 in Dahab, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Dahab $718

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $1,005 in Dahab, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Dahab $1,005

Phuket costs about 200% more than Dahab, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Dahab are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Dahab 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$3.64 E£196

20.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,078

$12.50 E£674

158.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿290

$4.61 E£248

88.72%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿90.9

$1.52 E£82.1

78.95%

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

$0.93 ฿31.06

$0.47 E£25.36

97.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.67

$0.24 E£12.90

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$1.76 E£95.1

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.32 E£125

56.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.97 E£52.1

79.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$1.05 E£56.5

38.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.1

$0.66 E£35.53

127.27%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.5

$1.29 E£69.8

68.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿637

$9.74 E£525

96.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿113

$3.71 E£200

-8.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$9.83 E£530

10.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.2

$2.23 E£120

31.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$1.37 E£73.7

23.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.2

$0.60 E£32.56

265.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿70.9

$0.57 E£30.48

271.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.68

$0.56 E£30.31

160.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.66

$0.56 E£30.45

144.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.91

$0.83 E£44.71

30.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$0.17 E£9.10

223.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$1.47 E£79.4

201.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿609

$6.46 E£348

182.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$1.51 E£81.3

17.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.15 E£8.33

866.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,832

$7.35 E£396

646.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$0.75 E£40.16

101.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.90

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.65

$0.40 E£21.55

272.50%

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

$26.9K ฿897.3K

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

$26.3K ฿879.4K

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

$97.8 ฿3,265

$17.10 E£922

471.99%

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

$11.29 ฿377

$6.22 E£335

81.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿574

$16.70 E£900

2.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,281

$14.34 E£773

376.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

$9.21 E£497

18.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$4.56 E£246

62.94%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿626.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,059

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿943

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,204

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,898

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$177 E£9,544

307.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$122 E£6,596

315.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.1K

$497 E£26.8K

292.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.6K

$301 E£16.2K

364.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿139.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$124 E£6,701

295.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Dahab: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Dahab

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Dahab

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Dahab

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Dahab

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Dahab

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Dahab

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Dahab

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $177 in Dahab. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Phuket are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $13 in Dahab. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $158 – making Dahab the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇬 Dahab

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

03:06 3:06 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

12,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 EGP = 1.86 USD

100 EGP = 1.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 53.9 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.51 EGP (100 EGP = 1.65 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Dahab 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Dahab

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 Dahab: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 200%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $646 in Dahab. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dahab, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $177 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $431 in Dahab. That makes Dahab about 67% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $13 in Dahab. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dahab, where all-in costs run around $431, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Dahab it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dahab costs $431 versus $1,294 in Phuket. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Dahab. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.