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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,035 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $3,110 in Dibba Al-Fujairah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $4,185 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 6% below, Dibba Al-Fujairah is 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$10.99 AED 40.36

-58.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$83.1 AED 305

-44.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$9.63 AED 35.38

-8.20%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$5.73 AED 21.05

-46.60%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.19 AED 4.37

-38.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.95 AED 3.48

-57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$12.31 AED 45.20

-80.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$13.77 AED 50.6

-72.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.99 AED 7.30

13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.44 AED 5.29

25.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.17 AED 7.99

3.69%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.39 AED 12.44

-33.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.16 AED 37.30

92.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$9.46 AED 34.73

-61.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$12.51 AED 45.94

4.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.35 AED 8.61

37.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.87 AED 6.89

-13.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.93 AED 7.08

23.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.48 AED 5.45

37.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.23 AED 4.53

24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.26 AED 4.65

19.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.38 AED 5.08

-28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.64 AED 2.36

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.38 AED 23.42

-30.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$16.17 AED 59.4

13.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.60 AED 9.56

-28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$3.38 AED 12.42

-20.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.66 AED 6.11

-15.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$53.4 AED 196

-78.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.20 AED 11.74

-2.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.56 AED 2.05

85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$8.28 AED 30.42

70.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.74 AED 2.72

77.03%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$33.3K AED 122.3K

-16.49%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.6K AED 83.0K

47.01%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$211 AED 775

-41.94%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$60.9 AED 224

-77.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$101 AED 369

-81.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$64.8 AED 238

-6.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$40.16 AED 147

-57.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$15.27 AED 56.1

-40.60%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$849 AED 3,120

-16.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,719 AED 21.0K

176.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$82.6 AED 303

-29.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$63.2 AED 232

-44.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$115 AED 423

0.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$123 AED 452

-31.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$740 AED 2,718

-15.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$754 AED 2,767

-40.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$2,515 AED 9,238

-18.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,368 AED 5,024

9.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$4,335 AED 15.9K

-19.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,555 AED 9,385

0.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Dibba Al-Fujairah: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $740 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $83.0 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 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 63% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $2,035 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $3,053 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: $626 in Phuket versus $740 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 356% less than in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $849 in Dibba Al-Fujairah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,035 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.