Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Medina

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $1,364 in Medina, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medina outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Medina
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Medina Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Medina

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,364

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Medina

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Medina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Phuket vs $1,364 in Medina, rent included.

Phuket $1,190
Medina $1,364

A couple spends around $2,006 per month in Phuket vs $1,816 in Medina, rent included.

Phuket $2,006
Medina $1,816

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Phuket vs $2,268 in Medina, rent included.

Phuket $2,822
Medina $2,268

Phuket is about 13% cheaper than Medina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Medina is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$5.53 SAR 20.75

-21.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$32.09 SAR 120

1.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$8.20 SAR 30.78

2.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 SAR 5.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.62

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$2.70 SAR 10.15

4.07%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$0.76 SAR 2.84

14.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$0.25 SAR 0.95

84.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.49 SAR 5.61

14.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$0.92 SAR 3.44

57.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.32 SAR 8.70

-32.76%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$2.09 SAR 7.84

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$5.44 SAR 20.44

259.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$7.03 SAR 26.39

-51.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$12.49 SAR 46.90

-10.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$2.42 SAR 9.10

16.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.98 SAR 7.42

-18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$2.29 SAR 8.60

-3.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$1.55 SAR 5.83

38.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$1.36 SAR 5.12

9.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$1.37 SAR 5.14

-2.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$0.93 SAR 3.49

15.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$0.71 SAR 2.68

-28.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 SAR 5.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$7.54 SAR 28.32

-41.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$1.05 SAR 3.94

106.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$36.80 SAR 138

-39.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$1.36 SAR 5.12

122.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$1.68 SAR 6.32

-36.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$5.71 SAR 21.44

-35.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$0.64 SAR 2.41

123.44%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$41.8K SAR 157.0K

-36.98%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$20.7K SAR 77.5K

26.89%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$149 SAR 558

-34.97%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$27.41 SAR 103

-58.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$90.7 SAR 341

-81.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$78.9 SAR 296

-33.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$9.01 SAR 33.83

22.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$13.51 SAR 50.7

-43.38%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$294 SAR 1,103

88.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$5,483 SAR 20.6K

105.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$36.85 SAR 138

72.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$54.4 SAR 204

-47.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$67.0 SAR 252

44.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$70.0 SAR 263

26.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$570 SAR 2,139

28.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$529 SAR 1,988

-13.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$779 SAR 2,926

169.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$573 SAR 2,151

107.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$2,309 SAR 8,670

51.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$1,356 SAR 5,091

83.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$1,244 SAR 4,671

-59.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.17

33.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Medina: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Medina

$529 39.2% 15.6% $71

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Medina

$191 14.1% 28.8% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Medina

$267 19.7% 113% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Medina

$103 7.6% 17.7% $22

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Medina

$105 7.8% 11.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Medina

$106 7.8% 55.5% $38

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Medina

$51 3.8% 29.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $735 in Phuket versus $570 in Medina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 148% higher in Medina, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $32.00 in Medina. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $191 in Medina – so Medina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇦 Medina

🕒 Local time

12:08 12:08 PM

08:08 8:08 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,100,093

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Medina 6,490 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Medina

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Medina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medina costs about 15% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Phuket and $2,047 in Medina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $555 per month in Phuket and $294 in Medina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 41% cheaper in Medina – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in Medina at $1,364. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,190 versus $1,364 in Medina. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.