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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,121 in Rabigh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,674 in Rabigh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,228 in Rabigh.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Rabigh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Rabigh 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.04 SAR 15.16

10.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$21.35 SAR 80.2

113.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.26 SAR 27.25

20.66%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 SAR 2.90

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.42 SAR 9.08

22.73%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.66 SAR 2.47

4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.13 SAR 0.49

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.35 SAR 5.06

59.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.26 SAR 0.98

600.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$2.29 SAR 8.61

-4.80%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.20 SAR 8.25

2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$5.23 SAR 19.63

282.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.71 SAR 17.68

-22.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$12.71 SAR 47.73

6.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.12 SAR 7.96

52.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.62 SAR 6.09

1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.57 SAR 5.88

48.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.35 SAR 5.07

53.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.33 SAR 4.98

16.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.26 SAR 4.74

15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.07 SAR 4.01

-8.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.59 SAR 2.23

-18.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.13 SAR 15.49

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 SAR 7.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SAR 9.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.63 SAR 9.86

65.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$1.05 SAR 3.92

35.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$39.83 SAR 150

-70.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.23 SAR 12.11

-1.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.84 SAR 6.91

-44.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$15.17 SAR 57.0

-8.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$0.63 SAR 2.35

112.70%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$26.9K SAR 100.9K

3.36%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$21.4K SAR 80.3K

55.98%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$107 SAR 403

14.72%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$31.87 SAR 120

-56.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$70.1 SAR 263

-73.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$86.6 SAR 325

-29.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$35.88 SAR 135

-52.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$13.39 SAR 50.3

-33.76%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$402 SAR 1,508

71.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$6,413 SAR 24.1K

146.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$64.7 SAR 243

-8.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$57.9 SAR 217

-40.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$94.2 SAR 354

22.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$85.1 SAR 319

-1.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$284 SAR 1,064

119.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$387 SAR 1,453

15.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$523 SAR 1,965

288.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$622 SAR 2,334

140.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$2,685 SAR 10.1K

28.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,488 SAR 5,585

70.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Rabigh: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $284 in Rabigh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Rabigh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $163 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,681 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: $621 in Phuket versus $284 in Rabigh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $402 in Rabigh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,121 in Rabigh versus $1,264 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.