Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qatif Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qatif

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,057 in Qatif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,683 in Qatif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,308 in Qatif.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than Qatif, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Qatif 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$3.41 SAR 12.78

32.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$48.84 SAR 183

-4.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$8.03 SAR 30.13

5.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 SAR 7.20

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.57 SAR 13.40

-13.73%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.76 SAR 2.87

-10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.26 SAR 0.97

38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.72 SAR 6.44

27.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.83 SAR 3.11

118.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$2.11 SAR 7.93

5.69%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.23 SAR 8.35

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$6.30 SAR 23.63

211.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$7.33 SAR 27.52

-49.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$10.15 SAR 38.08

32.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.09 SAR 7.83

60.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.48 SAR 5.57

9.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.44 SAR 5.40

67.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$0.71 SAR 2.65

180.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.28 SAR 4.81

19.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.38 SAR 5.18

5.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.10 SAR 4.13

-8.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.51 SAR 1.91

-5.88%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.31

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$7.84 SAR 29.43

-45.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$1.09 SAR 4.11

30.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$39.62 SAR 149

-70.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$3.15 SAR 11.84

-4.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.56 SAR 5.85

-32.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$13.37 SAR 50.2

3.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$0.63 SAR 2.37

104.76%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$22.6K SAR 84.9K

23.93%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$20.2K SAR 75.7K

66.05%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$106 SAR 396

15.51%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$36.23 SAR 136

-61.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$59.2 SAR 222

-68.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$94.6 SAR 355

-35.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$57.5 SAR 216

-70.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$15.54 SAR 58.3

-42.79%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$401 SAR 1,505

72.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$8,166 SAR 30.6K

97.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$51.6 SAR 194

11.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$50.8 SAR 191

-30.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$90.1 SAR 338

25.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$86.8 SAR 326

-4.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$356 SAR 1,336

70.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$285 SAR 1,070

57.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$703 SAR 2,639

188.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$495 SAR 1,856

201.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$970 SAR 3,639

269.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$795 SAR 2,983

225.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$2,237 SAR 8,396

-77.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.33

23.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Qatif: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $356 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 343% 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 $49.00 in Qatif. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $175, with Qatif cheaper for home cooking.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Qatif earns 343% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $356 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $401 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,057 in Qatif versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qatif but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Qatif the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Qatif is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Qatif 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 Qatif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.