Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hafar Al Batin Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hafar Al Batin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,214 in Hafar Al Batin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,788 in Hafar Al Batin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,362 in Hafar Al Batin.

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than Hafar Al Batin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Hafar Al Batin 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.27 SAR 19.76

-13.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$26.33 SAR 98.8

77.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.37 SAR 23.91

32.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.40 SAR 12.74

-10.88%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.69 SAR 2.59

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.22 SAR 0.82

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.96 SAR 7.35

11.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.96 SAR 3.60

97.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.34 SAR 8.79

-5.98%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.44 SAR 9.17

-9.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.02 SAR 26.34

184.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.28 SAR 27.31

-49.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$12.88 SAR 48.31

2.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.19 SAR 8.22

47.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.56 SAR 5.87

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.69 SAR 6.32

41.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.61 SAR 6.06

29.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.24 SAR 4.64

28.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.28 SAR 4.82

15.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.19 SAR 4.46

-13.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.59 SAR 2.22

-11.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.76 SAR 10.34

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.36

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$7.14 SAR 26.79

-40.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.10 SAR 4.11

23.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$40.08 SAR 150

-71.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.60 SAR 9.75

20.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.85 SAR 6.94

-43.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$13.08 SAR 49.10

5.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.65 SAR 2.45

106.15%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.7K SAR 100.1K

3.75%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$22.7K SAR 85.3K

48.91%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$103 SAR 388

19.63%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$33.83 SAR 127

-60.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$72.6 SAR 272

-74.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$88.0 SAR 330

-29.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$35.54 SAR 133

-51.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$15.68 SAR 58.9

-41.71%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$347 SAR 1,302

102.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$7,024 SAR 26.4K

125.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$58.9 SAR 221

0.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$60.4 SAR 227

-41.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$78.5 SAR 294

46.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$82.3 SAR 309

2.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$434 SAR 1,628

42.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$380 SAR 1,425

13.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$866 SAR 3,248

138.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$617 SAR 2,317

144.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,030 SAR 7,617

79.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,509 SAR 5,661

74.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,379 SAR 5,174

-63.23%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $434 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafar Al Batin pays 172% 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 $26.00 in Hafar Al Batin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $198 per month, with Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafar Al Batin wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hafar Al Batin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Hafar Al Batin earns 172% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $434 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $347 in Hafar Al Batin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,214 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hafar Al Batin but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Hafar Al Batin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hafar Al Batin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,214 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hafar Al Batin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.