Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qatif

For one person, living is cheaper in Qatif: $1,102 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Qatif
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Qatif Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Qatif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,102

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Qatif

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 Qatif actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,102 in Qatif.

Phuket $1,278
Qatif $1,102

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,640 in Qatif.

Phuket $2,216
Qatif $1,640

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,178 in Qatif.

Phuket $3,154
Qatif $2,178

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Qatif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Qatif 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.50 SAR 13.15

27.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$34.91 SAR 131

-7.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.52 SAR 24.48

35.12%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.04

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SAR 8.39

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.10 SAR 11.62

-8.71%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.77 SAR 2.89

12.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.19 SAR 0.72

157.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.78 SAR 6.68

-6.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.91 SAR 3.42

60.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.92 SAR 7.20

-21.87%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.10 SAR 7.89

-0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.90 SAR 22.14

223.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.90 SAR 29.64

-58.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$12.64 SAR 47.44

-13.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.29 SAR 8.58

27.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.71 SAR 6.41

-1.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.59 SAR 5.95

41.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.67 SAR 2.52

210.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.08 SAR 4.05

39.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.13 SAR 4.26

22.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.95 SAR 3.58

12.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.55 SAR 2.07

-5.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 SAR 5.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 SAR 8.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.26 SAR 23.48

-32.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$1.09 SAR 4.09

33.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$36.50 SAR 137

55.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.46 SAR 9.22

22.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.55 SAR 2.07

85.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$13.24 SAR 49.70

-72.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.61 SAR 2.29

140.98%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$29.1K SAR 109.1K

-7.88%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$20.3K SAR 76.3K

31.30%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$104 SAR 388

-6.92%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$32.15 SAR 121

-64.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$59.3 SAR 222

-71.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$79.4 SAR 298

-15.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$21.38 SAR 80.2

-49.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$13.07 SAR 49.03

-42.62%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$264 SAR 992

79.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$7,860 SAR 29.5K

43.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$32.16 SAR 121

93.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$21.10 SAR 79.2

34.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$95.5 SAR 358

-1.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$90.7 SAR 340

-5.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$586 SAR 2,199

22.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$374 SAR 1,402

31.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$807 SAR 3,029

138.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$578 SAR 2,171

147.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$943 SAR 3,537

343.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$796 SAR 2,987

282.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$2,257 SAR 8,471

-77.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.5

1.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Qatif: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Qatif

$374 33.9% 23.9% $117

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Qatif

$185 16.8% 30.4% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Qatif

$195 17.7% 56.6% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Qatif

$108 9.8% 11.6% $14

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Qatif

$89 8% 27.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Qatif

$106 9.6% 28.3% $23

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Qatif

$46 4.2% 34.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $586 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays about 4.5 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $35 in Qatif. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $185, with Qatif cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇦 Qatif

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

23:18 11:18 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

87,332

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Qatif 5,500 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Qatif

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 Qatif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qatif is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 78% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $586 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $264 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Qatif gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Qatif are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.