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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,041 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $3,632 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $5,224 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 39% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 9% below, Dibba Al-Fujairah is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$6.80 AED 24.97

-32.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$80.3 AED 295

-59.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$8.41 AED 30.88

5.83%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$6.41 AED 23.53

-56.32%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.80 AED 2.95

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.26 AED 0.94

88.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$13.59 AED 49.93

-82.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$13.63 AED 50.1

-72.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.32 AED 4.86

35.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.10 AED 4.04

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$2.40 AED 8.83

-34.17%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.17 AED 7.97

-1.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$12.17 AED 44.69

63.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$6.93 AED 25.44

-50.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$6.96 AED 25.57

62.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.59 AED 5.85

85.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.35 AED 4.95

27.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.86 AED 6.83

24.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.34 AED 4.91

55.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$0.79 AED 2.90

86.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$0.81 AED 2.96

67.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$1.39 AED 5.11

-20.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.56 AED 2.04

1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$5.96 AED 21.90

-28.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$16.57 AED 60.9

11.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$2.72 AED 9.98

-31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$2.74 AED 10.05

6.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$2.21 AED 8.13

0.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$40.36 AED 148

-43.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.11 AED 4.06

172.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.67 AED 2.46

59.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$7.94 AED 29.18

-50.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$0.75 AED 2.74

98.67%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$27.0K AED 99.1K

0.56%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$22.6K AED 83.2K

21.21%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$245 AED 901

-58.08%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$52.9 AED 194

-79.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$81.9 AED 301

-78.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$63.7 AED 234

-15.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$28.34 AED 104

-60.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$16.31 AED 59.9

-54.14%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$824 AED 3,027

-32.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$5,694 AED 20.9K

108.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$76.3 AED 280

-15.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$58.2 AED 214

-50.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$99.1 AED 364

-3.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$94.2 AED 346

-4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$813 AED 2,986

-10.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$865 AED 3,178

-42.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,801 AED 6,616

16.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$2,609 AED 9,580

-53.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$4,938 AED 18.1K

-27.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$2,308 AED 8,477

8.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

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: August 31, 2026

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $813 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $80.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $233, 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 63% in total monthly costs ($1,253 vs $2,041 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $3,061 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: $730 in Phuket versus $813 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 76% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $824 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,041 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 63% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.