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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,148 in Rabigh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,667 in Rabigh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,186 in Rabigh.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than Rabigh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Rabigh 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.90 SAR 14.63

16.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$21.09 SAR 79.1

121.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.15 SAR 26.82

18.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 SAR 4.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 SAR 2.87

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.42 SAR 9.06

25.21%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.64 SAR 2.39

7.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.11 SAR 0.42

236.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.30 SAR 4.88

67.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.28 SAR 1.06

578.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.34 SAR 8.77

-5.98%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.22 SAR 8.32

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$5.48 SAR 20.56

264.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.94 SAR 18.55

-25.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$12.57 SAR 47.16

5.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.18 SAR 8.17

48.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.60 SAR 6.00

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.58 SAR 5.92

51.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.30 SAR 4.87

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.33 SAR 4.98

19.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.25 SAR 4.70

18.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.09 SAR 4.10

-5.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.56 SAR 2.09

-7.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.14 SAR 15.53

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.00

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SAR 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.72 SAR 10.21

56.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.05 SAR 3.93

29.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$40.05 SAR 150

-71.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.29 SAR 12.36

-4.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.82 SAR 6.84

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$15.02 SAR 56.4

-8.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.59 SAR 2.23

127.12%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$27.1K SAR 101.6K

2.22%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$22.1K SAR 82.8K

53.48%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$107 SAR 402

15.38%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$32.50 SAR 122

-58.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$69.0 SAR 259

-72.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$87.0 SAR 326

-28.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$35.38 SAR 133

-51.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$13.54 SAR 50.8

-32.50%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$401 SAR 1,504

75.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,411 SAR 24.1K

147.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$63.6 SAR 239

-6.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$58.4 SAR 219

-39.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$93.5 SAR 351

23.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$82.9 SAR 311

1.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$282 SAR 1,059

119.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$382 SAR 1,434

13.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$523 SAR 1,962

294.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$620 SAR 2,326

143.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,005 SAR 7,525

81.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,394 SAR 5,231

88.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Rabigh: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $282 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 $293 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,722 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: $619 in Phuket versus $282 in Rabigh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $401 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 $1,148 in Rabigh versus $1,261 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.