Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ha'il Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ha'il

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,038 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,487 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,937 in Ha'il.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than in Ha'il, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ha'il 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$6.61 SAR 24.81

-31.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$25.32 SAR 95.1

84.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$6.90 SAR 25.88

23.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.18

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$3.25 SAR 12.19

-5.23%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$1.00 SAR 3.74

-32.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.32 SAR 1.19

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.71 SAR 6.43

28.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$0.87 SAR 3.25

108.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.90 SAR 7.15

17.37%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$1.87 SAR 7.00

19.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$6.52 SAR 24.45

200.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$8.87 SAR 33.28

-58.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$8.20 SAR 30.77

64.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$1.51 SAR 5.65

122.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.57 SAR 5.89

3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.25 SAR 4.69

92.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.94 SAR 7.29

2.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$1.36 SAR 5.12

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$1.57 SAR 5.90

-7.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$1.10 SAR 4.13

-8.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.45 SAR 1.70

6.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.45 SAR 9.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$6.83 SAR 25.65

-37.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$1.05 SAR 3.94

35.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$40.71 SAR 153

-71.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.74 SAR 10.28

9.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$1.90 SAR 7.12

-44.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$13.54 SAR 50.8

2.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$0.63 SAR 2.37

104.76%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$26.5K SAR 99.3K

5.94%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$22.2K SAR 83.1K

51.25%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$54.1 SAR 203

125.30%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$21.30 SAR 79.9

-34.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$47.32 SAR 178

-60.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$65.5 SAR 246

-6.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$35.00 SAR 131

-51.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$14.68 SAR 55.1

-39.44%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$348 SAR 1,305

98.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$6,962 SAR 26.1K

132.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$59.4 SAR 223

-2.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$61.4 SAR 230

-42.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$77.8 SAR 292

45.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$83.2 SAR 312

-0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$493 SAR 1,850

23.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$325 SAR 1,220

37.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$444 SAR 1,668

356.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$353 SAR 1,324

323.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$2,398 SAR 9,001

49.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$1,343 SAR 5,041

92.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$1,073 SAR 4,028

-52.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.42

20.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $493 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 113% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Ha'il for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $178 per month, with Ha'il cheaper across the board.

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 Ha'il: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ha'il wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ha'il the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 113% lower in Ha'il. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $493 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $348 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,038 in Ha'il versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ha'il but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ha'il the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ha'il delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,038 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ha'il hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ha'il 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 Ha'il gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.