Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jubail Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jubail

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,050 in Jubail.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,650 in Jubail.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,251 in Jubail.

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than Jubail, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Jubail 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.48 SAR 24.31

-28.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$40.19 SAR 151

16.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.29 SAR 34.84

-4.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 SAR 10.70

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.39 SAR 12.71

-11.50%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.83 SAR 3.10

-10.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.26 SAR 0.97

42.31%

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

$1.77 SAR 6.65

27.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.98 SAR 3.68

87.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.63 SAR 6.11

37.42%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.52 SAR 9.44

-7.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.20 SAR 30.76

139.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.89 SAR 25.85

-47.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.19 SAR 41.96

17.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.32 SAR 8.72

46.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.71 SAR 6.40

-4.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.58 SAR 5.91

52.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.43 SAR 5.37

41.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.12 SAR 4.20

39.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.30 SAR 4.86

15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.38 SAR 5.17

-26.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.64 SAR 2.39

-23.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.91 SAR 10.92

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 SAR 7.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 SAR 9.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$7.02 SAR 26.33

-36.61%

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

$0.97 SAR 3.63

44.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$25.13 SAR 94.2

-54.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.08 SAR 15.32

-23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.85 SAR 6.94

-45.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$17.01 SAR 63.8

-17.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.63 SAR 2.37

114.29%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.2K SAR 75.9K

34.28%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.2K SAR 90.8K

36.01%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$98.8 SAR 371

26.49%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$31.97 SAR 120

-57.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$65.1 SAR 244

-71.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$88.0 SAR 330

-30.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$35.90 SAR 135

-53.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$13.89 SAR 52.1

-33.84%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$202 SAR 759

244.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$8,378 SAR 31.4K

86.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$38.63 SAR 145

49.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$62.2 SAR 233

-43.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$83.4 SAR 313

35.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$79.4 SAR 298

8.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$403 SAR 1,513

52.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$277 SAR 1,039

61.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$655 SAR 2,456

212.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$505 SAR 1,892

195.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,522 SAR 9,458

49.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,316 SAR 4,934

101.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,602 SAR 6,008

-67.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Jubail: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $403 in Jubail. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jubail pays 206% 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 $40.00 in Jubail for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $191 per month, with Jubail 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 Jubail: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jubail wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jubail the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Jubail earns 206% 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 $403 in Jubail. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,050 in Jubail – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jubail runs roughly 119% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,050 in Jubail versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jubail but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jubail the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jubail delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,050 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jubail hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Jubail 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 Jubail gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.