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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,024 in Ha'il.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,474 in Ha'il.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,925 in Ha'il.

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than Ha'il, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ha'il 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.83 SAR 25.60

-32.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$25.28 SAR 94.8

85.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.19 SAR 26.97

22.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.17

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.29 SAR 12.35

-8.81%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.04 SAR 3.92

-28.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.32 SAR 1.20

15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.72 SAR 6.45

31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.84 SAR 3.17

119.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.83 SAR 6.85

22.40%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.97 SAR 7.40

17.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.67 SAR 25.03

194.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.91 SAR 33.42

-59.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$8.23 SAR 30.85

59.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.56 SAR 5.85

117.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.50 SAR 5.62

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.30 SAR 4.86

85.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.96 SAR 7.34

3.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.31 SAR 4.90

19.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.63 SAR 6.13

-7.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.06 SAR 3.96

-3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.48 SAR 1.82

2.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.57 SAR 9.65

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$7.20 SAR 26.98

-38.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.04 SAR 3.91

34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$39.36 SAR 148

-70.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.69 SAR 10.08

15.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.90 SAR 7.11

-47.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$13.46 SAR 50.5

4.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.63 SAR 2.36

114.29%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.6K SAR 99.6K

2.39%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.1K SAR 82.9K

48.96%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$52.5 SAR 197

138.19%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$21.05 SAR 78.9

-35.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$47.26 SAR 177

-60.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$67.0 SAR 251

-8.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$35.14 SAR 132

-52.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$14.69 SAR 55.1

-37.44%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$360 SAR 1,350

93.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,874 SAR 25.8K

126.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$60.3 SAR 226

-4.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$61.3 SAR 230

-42.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$78.1 SAR 293

44.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$83.1 SAR 311

4.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$483 SAR 1,813

27.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$329 SAR 1,234

35.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$448 SAR 1,680

357.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$356 SAR 1,337

318.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,369 SAR 8,883

59.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,314 SAR 4,926

101.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,052 SAR 3,944

-50.20%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ha'il: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $483 in Ha'il. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 101% 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 $179 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 20% 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, Ha'il earns 101% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $483 in Ha'il. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $360 in Ha'il. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,024 in Ha'il versus $1,232 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 $1,024 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 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.