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 $1,157 in Hafar Al Batin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,751 in Hafar Al Batin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,345 in Hafar Al Batin.

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than in Hafar Al Batin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Hafar Al Batin 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.47 SAR 24.31

-31.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$37.25 SAR 140

-13.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.77 SAR 29.17

14.93%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.97

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.47 SAR 13.04

-16.43%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.87 SAR 3.27

1.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.26 SAR 0.98

84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.95 SAR 7.31

-4.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.17 SAR 4.39

25.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.25 SAR 8.47

-31.11%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.43 SAR 9.13

-13.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.50 SAR 28.16

161.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$8.00 SAR 30.06

-57.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$12.92 SAR 48.52

-11.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.15 SAR 8.09

38.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.78 SAR 6.68

-5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.55 SAR 5.81

42.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.63 SAR 6.12

32.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.19 SAR 4.48

27.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.30 SAR 4.88

3.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.15 SAR 4.30

-1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.58 SAR 2.19

-5.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 SAR 10.60

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.84 SAR 25.68

-37.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.09 SAR 4.10

104.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$35.34 SAR 133

-35.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.95 SAR 11.09

2.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.85 SAR 6.94

-44.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$13.45 SAR 50.5

-71.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.63 SAR 2.35

136.51%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$46.1K SAR 173.0K

-42.31%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$21.3K SAR 80.1K

26.70%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$99.2 SAR 373

3.25%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$32.23 SAR 121

-64.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$65.7 SAR 247

-73.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$82.7 SAR 311

-37.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$36.81 SAR 138

-69.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$13.51 SAR 50.8

-43.08%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$340 SAR 1,276

65.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$6,607 SAR 24.8K

74.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$50.2 SAR 189

25.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$57.8 SAR 217

-48.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$98.3 SAR 369

-0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$87.6 SAR 329

1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$581 SAR 2,184

26.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$345 SAR 1,297

39.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$866 SAR 3,253

143.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$560 SAR 2,102

119.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,354 SAR 8,842

53.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,396 SAR 5,244

86.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,373 SAR 5,156

-64.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.47

1.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Hafar Al Batin: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $581 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafar Al Batin pays 178% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Hafar Al Batin. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $205, with Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafar Al Batin wins on cost – living expenses run 6% 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, salaries run 178% lower in Hafar Al Batin. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $581 in Hafar Al Batin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $340 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 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,157 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 $1,157 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 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.