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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,225 in Hafar Al Batin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,809 in Hafar Al Batin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,392 in Hafar Al Batin.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than Hafar Al Batin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Hafar Al Batin 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.42 SAR 20.33

-14.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$26.40 SAR 99.0

77.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.38 SAR 23.91

38.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.44 SAR 12.91

-12.79%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.70 SAR 2.63

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.24 SAR 0.90

54.17%

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

$2.02 SAR 7.59

11.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.00 SAR 3.75

84.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.34 SAR 8.79

-4.27%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.45 SAR 9.17

-5.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.82 SAR 25.58

188.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.58 SAR 28.41

-51.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.02 SAR 48.83

0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.27 SAR 8.52

49.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.58 SAR 5.92

3.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.69 SAR 6.32

42.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.56 SAR 5.87

30.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.29 SAR 4.85

20.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.34 SAR 5.01

11.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.19 SAR 4.45

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.59 SAR 2.21

-16.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.77 SAR 10.40

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$7.06 SAR 26.46

-36.97%

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 3.90

34.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$40.53 SAR 152

-71.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.70 SAR 10.12

15.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.86 SAR 6.97

-46.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$13.52 SAR 50.7

4.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.66 SAR 2.47

104.55%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.8K SAR 100.5K

1.38%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.7K SAR 85.0K

45.22%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$106 SAR 396

18.26%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$33.36 SAR 125

-59.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$71.8 SAR 269

-74.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$88.4 SAR 331

-30.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$36.16 SAR 136

-53.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$15.46 SAR 58.0

-40.56%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$346 SAR 1,298

101.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,857 SAR 25.7K

127.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$60.1 SAR 225

-3.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$59.9 SAR 225

-41.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$79.7 SAR 299

41.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$81.1 SAR 304

6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$432 SAR 1,620

42.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$385 SAR 1,445

15.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$835 SAR 3,132

145.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$616 SAR 2,308

142.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,329 SAR 8,734

62.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,345 SAR 5,043

96.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,425 SAR 5,342

-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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $432 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 $292 vs $201 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 1% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $432 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $346 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 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,225 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,232 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 $1,225 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 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.