Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ras al-Khaimah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ras al-Khaimah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,745 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $2,761 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $3,777 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 28% less than in Ras al-Khaimah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 9% below, Ras al-Khaimah is 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$12.04 AED 44.22

-62.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$45.52 AED 167

-28.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$7.48 AED 27.45

18.98%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$5.51 AED 20.24

-49.18%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$1.11 AED 4.07

-20.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.44 AED 1.60

11.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$10.06 AED 36.94

-76.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$9.78 AED 35.93

-62.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.71 AED 6.29

4.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$2.06 AED 7.56

-30.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.88 AED 6.91

-15.96%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.42 AED 8.88

-11.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$12.50 AED 45.90

59.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$9.68 AED 35.56

-64.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$15.75 AED 57.9

-28.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.99 AED 7.30

48.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.59 AED 5.85

8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.50 AED 5.51

54.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.34 AED 4.93

55.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$0.97 AED 3.56

51.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$0.92 AED 3.38

47.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$1.75 AED 6.44

-37.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.48 AED 1.75

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$6.77 AED 24.87

-36.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$13.66 AED 50.2

34.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$2.52 AED 9.25

-25.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$2.86 AED 10.49

2.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$2.13 AED 7.82

4.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$112 AED 411

-79.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.72 AED 6.30

76.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.79 AED 2.89

35.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$7.96 AED 29.23

-50.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$0.89 AED 3.26

67.42%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$46.3K AED 169.9K

-41.36%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$21.8K AED 80.2K

25.73%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$124 AED 456

-17.27%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$45.14 AED 166

-75.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$79.6 AED 292

-77.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$57.5 AED 211

-6.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$40.71 AED 150

-72.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$13.07 AED 48.00

-42.77%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$296 AED 1,086

88.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$4,411 AED 16.2K

168.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$82.5 AED 303

-22.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$52.4 AED 192

-44.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$127 AED 466

-24.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$115 AED 422

-21.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$754 AED 2,768

-3.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$581 AED 2,135

-14.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,642 AED 6,029

27.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$1,268 AED 4,655

-4.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$4,911 AED 18.0K

-26.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,949 AED 7,157

28.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$1,584 AED 5,818

-68.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.92

13.21%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $754 in Ras al-Khaimah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ras al-Khaimah pays 215% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Ras al-Khaimah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $283 per month, with Phuket 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 Ras al-Khaimah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 215% lower in Ras al-Khaimah. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $754 in Ras al-Khaimah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $296 in Ras al-Khaimah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Ras al-Khaimah. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,745 in Ras al-Khaimah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ras al-Khaimah. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ras al-Khaimah, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ras al-Khaimah 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Ras al-Khaimah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.