Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dibba Al-Fujairah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dibba Al-Fujairah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,025 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,067 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,109 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 38% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Dibba Al-Fujairah is 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$10.72 AED 39.39

-56.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$82.0 AED 301

-44.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.66 AED 35.47

-12.73%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$5.57 AED 20.46

-47.40%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.18 AED 4.35

-41.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.93 AED 3.42

-60.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$12.39 AED 45.51

-80.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$13.75 AED 50.5

-72.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.90 AED 6.98

17.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.41 AED 5.19

29.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.24 AED 8.24

-3.13%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.28 AED 12.03

-32.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.97 AED 36.61

97.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$9.52 AED 34.95

-61.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.51 AED 45.94

8.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.39 AED 8.77

37.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.90 AED 6.97

-15.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.92 AED 7.05

25.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.54 AED 5.67

35.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.19 AED 4.37

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.27 AED 4.66

16.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.46 AED 5.35

-32.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.70 AED 2.56

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.44 AED 23.67

-31.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$16.56 AED 60.8

17.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.63 AED 9.65

-32.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.41 AED 12.54

-20.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.65 AED 6.06

-16.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$53.0 AED 195

-78.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.20 AED 11.74

-5.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.51 AED 1.89

94.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.15 AED 29.94

73.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.73 AED 2.69

86.30%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$33.2K AED 121.8K

-14.93%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.7K AED 83.2K

45.24%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$214 AED 788

-43.26%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$61.1 AED 225

-77.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$103 AED 378

-82.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$64.5 AED 237

-6.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$38.79 AED 142

-55.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$14.96 AED 55.0

-41.91%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$837 AED 3,074

-17.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,718 AED 21.0K

174.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$83.0 AED 305

-28.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$64.0 AED 235

-45.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$113 AED 414

1.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$122 AED 447

-31.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$732 AED 2,689

-16.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$764 AED 2,808

-42.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$2,524 AED 9,269

-17.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,362 AED 5,002

10.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$5,051 AED 18.6K

-25.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,182 AED 8,014

19.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.49

18.71%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Dibba Al-Fujairah: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $732 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $82.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $282, with Dibba Al-Fujairah 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 Dibba Al-Fujairah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Dibba Al-Fujairah differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $2,025 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $3,037 in Dibba Al-Fujairah 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: $613 in Phuket versus $732 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 365% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $837 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,025 in Dibba Al-Fujairah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Dibba Al-Fujairah. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Dibba Al-Fujairah 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 60% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.