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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,090 in Rabigh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,731 in Rabigh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,372 in Rabigh.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Rabigh, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$6.63 SAR 24.91

-29.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$54.0 SAR 203

-40.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$8.49 SAR 31.87

2.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 SAR 9.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SAR 9.72

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.70 SAR 13.91

-21.62%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.04 SAR 3.89

-19.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.24 SAR 0.90

104.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.75 SAR 6.57

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.28 SAR 4.80

10.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.23 SAR 8.38

-27.35%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.40 SAR 9.01

-6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$6.27 SAR 23.56

216.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$8.03 SAR 30.15

-56.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$13.15 SAR 49.40

-13.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.03 SAR 7.63

42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.69 SAR 6.33

1.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.57 SAR 5.90

44.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.62 SAR 6.10

31.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.12 SAR 4.21

31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.34 SAR 5.04

5.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.07 SAR 4.02

2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.50 SAR 1.89

20.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.21 SAR 15.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 SAR 9.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$6.52 SAR 24.48

-33.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.00 SAR 3.77

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$30.97 SAR 116

-24.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.16 SAR 11.86

-1.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.69 SAR 6.34

-36.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$13.67 SAR 51.4

-71.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.64 SAR 2.40

123.44%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$48.0K SAR 180.2K

-42.09%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$21.8K SAR 81.8K

23.85%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$100 SAR 376

4.72%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$38.76 SAR 146

-70.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$67.2 SAR 252

-73.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$79.9 SAR 300

-31.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$32.10 SAR 121

-64.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$12.12 SAR 45.50

-35.81%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$730 SAR 2,740

-20.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$16.2K SAR 60.7K

-28.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$68.9 SAR 259

-7.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$59.1 SAR 222

-50.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$96.8 SAR 364

-0.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$98.1 SAR 368

-8.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$327 SAR 1,227

124.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$240 SAR 902

108.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$609 SAR 2,287

249.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$424 SAR 1,592

195.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,584 SAR 9,704

36.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,180 SAR 4,430

122.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.39

3.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Rabigh: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $327 in Rabigh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $54.0 in Rabigh. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $198, with Rabigh 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 Rabigh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,635 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: $733 in Phuket versus $327 in Rabigh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $730 in Rabigh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,090 in Rabigh versus $1,265 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.