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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $952 in Khamis Mushayt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,562 in Khamis Mushayt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,172 in Khamis Mushayt.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than Khamis Mushayt, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Khamis Mushayt 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$6.83 SAR 25.65

-31.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$42.60 SAR 160

6.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.94 SAR 26.06

21.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 SAR 6.60

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.70

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$5.35 SAR 20.09

-45.23%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.75 SAR 2.82

-8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.26 SAR 0.97

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.75 SAR 6.56

27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.35 SAR 1.32

422.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.92 SAR 7.21

13.02%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$4.37 SAR 16.39

-49.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.63 SAR 24.87

197.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.67 SAR 28.78

-52.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.41 SAR 57.8

-12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.24 SAR 8.40

46.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.43 SAR 5.38

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.05 SAR 3.93

129.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.97 SAR 7.40

5.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.70 SAR 6.40

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.38 SAR 5.20

7.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.25 SAR 4.67

-20.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.65 SAR 2.43

-21.54%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.11 SAR 11.68

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$7.83 SAR 29.37

-43.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.10 SAR 4.13

24.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$40.19 SAR 151

-71.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.65 SAR 9.93

13.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$2.02 SAR 7.59

-50.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$13.45 SAR 50.5

4.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.63 SAR 2.37

115.87%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$26.5K SAR 99.5K

6.35%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

46.77%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$106 SAR 399

14.56%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$34.38 SAR 129

-60.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$71.5 SAR 268

-74.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$89.5 SAR 336

-32.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$35.37 SAR 133

-51.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$15.61 SAR 58.6

-44.33%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$346 SAR 1,300

100.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$7,039 SAR 26.4K

122.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$58.8 SAR 221

1.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$60.7 SAR 228

-42.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$77.8 SAR 292

47.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$82.3 SAR 309

1.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$159 SAR 597

285.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$108 SAR 404

305.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$406 SAR 1,523

415.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$282 SAR 1,059

434.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,505 SAR 9,402

49.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,144 SAR 4,294

128.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,619 SAR 6,078

-68.62%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Khamis Mushayt: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $159 in Khamis Mushayt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Khamis Mushayt pays 219% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Khamis Mushayt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $205 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 33% 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, Khamis Mushayt earns 219% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $159 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 253% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $346 in Khamis Mushayt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $952 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,265 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 $952 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.