Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rabigh Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rabigh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,163 in Rabigh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,703 in Rabigh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,243 in Rabigh.

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than Rabigh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Rabigh 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.10 SAR 15.36

12.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$20.94 SAR 78.5

123.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$7.16 SAR 26.84

23.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 SAR 3.10

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$2.47 SAR 9.26

21.46%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$0.69 SAR 2.57

7.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$0.12 SAR 0.46

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$1.37 SAR 5.13

64.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$0.28 SAR 1.06

557.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$2.31 SAR 8.65

-3.03%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$2.21 SAR 8.29

4.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$5.49 SAR 20.57

258.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.83 SAR 18.11

-24.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$12.63 SAR 47.36

3.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$2.16 SAR 8.12

56.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$1.58 SAR 5.91

3.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$1.62 SAR 6.08

48.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$1.30 SAR 4.88

56.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$1.32 SAR 4.96

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$1.24 SAR 4.65

20.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$1.06 SAR 3.96

-3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.60 SAR 2.23

-18.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.08 SAR 15.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SAR 9.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.60 SAR 9.75

71.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$1.10 SAR 4.11

27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

$39.46 SAR 148

-70.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$3.19 SAR 11.96

-2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$1.90 SAR 7.12

-47.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$15.28 SAR 57.3

-7.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$0.63 SAR 2.37

114.29%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$26.4K SAR 99.1K

2.86%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.7K SAR 81.3K

51.82%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$104 SAR 392

19.70%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$31.74 SAR 119

-57.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$69.4 SAR 260

-73.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$89.3 SAR 335

-31.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$35.21 SAR 132

-52.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$13.26 SAR 49.72

-30.69%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$408 SAR 1,531

71.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$6,568 SAR 24.6K

137.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$63.9 SAR 240

-9.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$57.7 SAR 216

-38.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$95.2 SAR 357

18.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$82.3 SAR 309

4.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$278 SAR 1,041

121.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$383 SAR 1,437

16.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$531 SAR 1,990

285.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$626 SAR 2,347

138.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

$2,387 SAR 8,952

58.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

$1,325 SAR 4,969

99.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.5

18.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rabigh: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $278 in Rabigh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Rabigh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $164 per month, with Rabigh 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 Rabigh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rabigh is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,745 in Rabigh to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $278 in Rabigh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $408 in Rabigh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,163 in Rabigh versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rabigh but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rabigh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rabigh 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 Rabigh 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 Rabigh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.