Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rabigh

For one person, living is cheaper in Rabigh: $953 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Rabigh
Learn more

Rabigh Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Rabigh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$953

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Rabigh

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $953 in Rabigh.

Phuket $1,278
Rabigh $953

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,456 in Rabigh.

Phuket $2,216
Rabigh $1,456

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,960 in Rabigh.

Phuket $3,154
Rabigh $1,960

Living in Phuket is roughly 34% more expensive than in Rabigh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Rabigh 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.66 SAR 17.49

-4.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$26.40 SAR 99.1

22.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.97 SAR 26.15

26.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 SAR 5.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.57 SAR 9.63

10.12%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.70 SAR 2.63

24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.23 SAR 0.86

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.88 SAR 7.06

-11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.02 SAR 3.82

43.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.19 SAR 8.23

-31.51%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.56 SAR 9.61

-18.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$6.08 SAR 22.80

213.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$12.04 SAR 45.17

-72.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$12.95 SAR 48.60

-15.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.08 SAR 7.81

40.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.62 SAR 6.08

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.80 SAR 6.76

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.50 SAR 5.62

38.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.33 SAR 4.99

13.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.51 SAR 5.67

-8.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.06 SAR 3.97

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.74 SAR 2.77

-29.73%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.89 SAR 10.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 SAR 8.22

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$7.94 SAR 29.80

-47.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.08 SAR 4.06

34.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$33.60 SAR 126

68.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.41 SAR 9.06

25.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$2.61 SAR 9.80

-60.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$13.48 SAR 50.6

-72.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.61 SAR 2.27

140.98%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

0.59%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$21.4K SAR 80.3K

24.74%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$66.6 SAR 250

44.67%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$34.24 SAR 128

-67.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$63.8 SAR 239

-73.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$74.0 SAR 277

-9.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$15.35 SAR 57.6

-51.14%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$428 SAR 1,606

11.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$7,737 SAR 29.0K

45.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$13.32 SAR 49.99

368.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$55.3 SAR 207

-48.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$39.72 SAR 149

137.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$53.7 SAR 201

59.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$335 SAR 1,258

113.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$244 SAR 917

100.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$610 SAR 2,290

215.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$424 SAR 1,591

237.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,728 SAR 6,484

141.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,478 SAR 5,546

106.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.25

6.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rabigh: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Rabigh

$244 25.7% 50.2% $247

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Rabigh

$220 23.1% 17.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Rabigh

$165 17.3% 32.3% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Rabigh

$73 7.7% 40.2% $49

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Rabigh

$93 9.7% 23.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Rabigh

$105 11% 27.3% $22

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Rabigh

$53 5.6% 24.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $335 in Rabigh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $26 in Rabigh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $220 per month, with Rabigh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇦 Rabigh

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

18:22 6:22 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

92,072

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Rabigh 6,530 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Rabigh

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 Rabigh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rabigh is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and eating out. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,429 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: $716 in Phuket versus $335 in Rabigh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $428 in Rabigh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.