Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dhahran

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,373 in Dhahran, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Dhahran despite lower rent and utilities.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Dhahran
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Dhahran Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Dhahran

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,373

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Dhahran

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,373 in Dhahran, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Dhahran $1,373

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,761 in Dhahran, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Dhahran $1,761

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,149 in Dhahran, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Dhahran $2,149

Phuket is about 7% cheaper than Dhahran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$5.41 SAR 20.31

-17.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$39.83 SAR 149

-18.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.46 SAR 24.24

36.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 SAR 7.19

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.09

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.82 SAR 14.35

-25.92%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.69 SAR 2.57

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.20 SAR 0.75

145.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.56 SAR 5.86

6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.94 SAR 3.51

55.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.99 SAR 7.47

-24.62%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.91 SAR 14.67

-46.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.66 SAR 32.51

120.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$11.22 SAR 42.12

-70.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$13.79 SAR 51.7

-20.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.09 SAR 7.83

40.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.44 SAR 5.40

17.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.81 SAR 6.81

24.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.75 SAR 6.58

18.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.47 SAR 5.53

2.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.97 SAR 3.63

42.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.98 SAR 7.45

-45.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.85 SAR 3.17

-38.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.72 SAR 17.70

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SAR 9.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.51 SAR 20.68

-23.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.90 SAR 3.37

61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$55.6 SAR 209

1.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.37 SAR 5.15

120.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$3.30 SAR 12.38

-69.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$9.26 SAR 34.75

-60.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.63 SAR 2.38

133.33%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$36.3K SAR 136.4K

-26.33%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$21.6K SAR 81.1K

23.50%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$61.2 SAR 230

57.38%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$43.31 SAR 163

-74.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$65.9 SAR 247

-74.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$195 SAR 733

-65.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$95.1 SAR 357

-88.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$10.51 SAR 39.44

-28.64%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$66.2 SAR 248

619.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$13.6K SAR 51.0K

-17.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$50.7 SAR 190

22.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$42.77 SAR 161

-33.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$77.0 SAR 289

22.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$90.4 SAR 339

-5.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$366 SAR 1,375

95.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$449 SAR 1,683

9.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$2,804 SAR 10.5K

-82.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.5

23.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dhahran: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Dhahran

$449 32.7% 8.6% $42

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Dhahran

$232 16.9% 13% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Dhahran

$170 12.4% 36.9% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Dhahran

$117 8.6% 3.7% $4.5

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Dhahran

$112 8.2% 7.9% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Dhahran

$216 15.8% 163% $134

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Dhahran

$77 5.6% 9.1% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $366 in Dhahran. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Dhahran are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $40 in Dhahran. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $232 in Dhahran – so Dhahran wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇦 Dhahran

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

13:19 1:19 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

120,521

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Dhahran 5,480 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Dhahran

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 Dhahran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhahran costs about 7% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,060 in Dhahran. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dhahran, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $366 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,373 in Dhahran. That makes Phuket about 7% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $66 in Dhahran. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,373 in Dhahran. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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