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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,087 in Qatif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,707 in Qatif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,328 in Qatif.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Qatif 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.44 SAR 12.94

30.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,522

$47.42 SAR 178

-3.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$8.05 SAR 30.22

8.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 SAR 6.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$3.66 SAR 13.73

-18.85%

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

$0.69 ฿22.92

$0.77 SAR 2.91

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.26 SAR 0.97

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.65 SAR 6.20

30.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.81 SAR 3.04

124.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$2.03 SAR 7.64

7.39%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$2.32 SAR 8.73

-3.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$6.03 SAR 22.64

231.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.38 SAR 27.72

-50.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$9.67 SAR 36.30

40.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.12 SAR 7.95

52.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.48 SAR 5.56

10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$1.44 SAR 5.42

61.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$0.75 SAR 2.83

176.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.26 SAR 4.74

23.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.58

$1.35 SAR 5.05

8.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.88

$1.10 SAR 4.13

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$0.55 SAR 2.08

-12.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.73 SAR 10.27

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$7.68 SAR 28.83

-43.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.32

$1.10 SAR 4.14

29.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$39.26 SAR 147

-70.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.12 SAR 11.72

1.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.45

$1.63 SAR 6.13

-36.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$13.22 SAR 49.64

5.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.88

$0.65 SAR 2.43

106.15%

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

$27.8K ฿927.9K

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

23.13%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$19.7K SAR 73.8K

69.84%

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

$123 ฿4,109

$104 SAR 392

17.99%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$37.20 SAR 140

-62.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$59.6 SAR 224

-69.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,026

$94.2 SAR 354

-35.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$56.9 SAR 214

-69.83%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$15.36 SAR 57.7

-42.25%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$405 SAR 1,521

69.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.9K

$8,110 SAR 30.5K

94.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,980

$51.3 SAR 192

15.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,158

$50.9 SAR 191

-31.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,846

$91.5 SAR 343

25.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,797

$85.8 SAR 322

-2.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$360 SAR 1,351

72.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$281 SAR 1,054

58.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$717 SAR 2,693

183.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$486 SAR 1,826

207.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$949 SAR 3,563

264.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$796 SAR 2,990

217.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,248 SAR 8,440

-78.04%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Qatif: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $360 in Qatif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 355% 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 $47.00 in Qatif. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $173, 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, salaries run 355% lower in Qatif. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $360 in Qatif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $405 in Qatif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,087 in Qatif versus $1,264 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.