Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Khamis Mushayt Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Khamis Mushayt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $966 in Khamis Mushayt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,565 in Khamis Mushayt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,163 in Khamis Mushayt.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Khamis Mushayt, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Khamis Mushayt 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.57 SAR 24.68

-30.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$41.89 SAR 157

10.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.71 SAR 25.19

31.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.81

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$5.23 SAR 19.64

-41.49%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.76 SAR 2.86

-3.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.28 SAR 1.06

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.71 SAR 6.42

32.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.36 SAR 1.35

402.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.84 SAR 6.91

22.28%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$4.44 SAR 16.66

-49.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.79 SAR 25.48

187.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.66 SAR 28.75

-52.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$15.42 SAR 57.9

-15.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.20 SAR 8.25

46.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.49 SAR 5.58

8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.08 SAR 4.06

120.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.02 SAR 7.57

0.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.71 SAR 6.43

-10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.44 SAR 5.39

4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.19 SAR 4.47

-17.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.70 SAR 2.61

-25.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.41 SAR 9.05

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$8.10 SAR 30.41

-45.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.04 SAR 3.91

35.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$40.69 SAR 153

-71.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.67 SAR 10.03

16.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.02 SAR 7.58

-48.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$13.12 SAR 49.26

7.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.63 SAR 2.38

107.94%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$26.7K SAR 100.3K

4.14%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.6K SAR 84.9K

46.97%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$106 SAR 398

15.48%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$33.53 SAR 126

-59.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$71.3 SAR 268

-73.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$87.9 SAR 330

-31.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$35.17 SAR 132

-51.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$15.36 SAR 57.7

-40.95%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$348 SAR 1,308

102.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$6,953 SAR 26.1K

127.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$60.0 SAR 225

-2.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$61.1 SAR 230

-42.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$79.7 SAR 299

44.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$83.3 SAR 313

0.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$157 SAR 591

297.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$105 SAR 396

322.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$402 SAR 1,509

407.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$281 SAR 1,053

431.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,607 SAR 9,789

33.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,448 SAR 5,438

77.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,603 SAR 6,019

-68.82%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Khamis Mushayt: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $157 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Khamis Mushayt pays 221% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Khamis Mushayt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $206 per month, with Khamis Mushayt 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 Khamis Mushayt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khamis Mushayt wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Khamis Mushayt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 221% lower in Khamis Mushayt. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $157 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Khamis Mushayt runs roughly 248% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $348 in Khamis Mushayt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $966 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khamis Mushayt but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Khamis Mushayt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Khamis Mushayt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $966 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Khamis Mushayt hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Khamis Mushayt 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 Khamis Mushayt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.