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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,943 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,976 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $4,008 in Ras al-Khaimah.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 36% less than in Ras al-Khaimah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Ras al-Khaimah is 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$13.47 AED 49.46

-66.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$49.37 AED 181

-6.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$6.96 AED 25.56

27.01%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$5.55 AED 20.37

-44.86%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.32 AED 4.83

-44.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.72 AED 2.63

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$10.87 AED 39.92

-77.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$10.05 AED 36.91

-62.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.57 AED 5.75

43.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.45 AED 5.32

24.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.70 AED 6.24

32.35%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.21 AED 8.11

1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$12.84 AED 47.15

51.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.59 AED 27.87

-51.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$15.28 AED 56.1

-14.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.19 AED 8.03

47.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.76 AED 6.47

-7.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.51 AED 5.54

57.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.31 AED 4.80

54.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.97 AED 3.55

57.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.03 AED 3.80

45.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.80 AED 6.60

-45.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.51 AED 1.86

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.29 AED 23.10

-29.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$13.51 AED 49.60

35.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.63 AED 9.67

-29.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.96 AED 10.87

-9.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$2.36 AED 8.68

-40.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$64.3 AED 236

-81.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.54 AED 5.65

101.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.93 AED 3.41

11.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$8.41 AED 30.90

67.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$0.80 AED 2.93

63.75%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$46.3K AED 169.9K

-39.87%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.4K AED 82.3K

48.18%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$149 AED 549

-18.05%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$45.04 AED 165

-69.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$101 AED 371

-81.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$56.3 AED 207

7.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$41.13 AED 151

-58.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$13.44 AED 49.35

-32.51%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$248 AED 912

184.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$5,208 AED 19.1K

203.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$117 AED 430

-50.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$53.7 AED 197

-34.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$137 AED 502

-15.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$136 AED 498

-38.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$718 AED 2,637

-12.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$783 AED 2,874

-43.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,994 AED 7,322

2.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,512 AED 5,554

-1.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$4,828 AED 17.7K

-27.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,965 AED 7,217

31.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,571 AED 5,770

-68.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.88

9.22%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $718 in Ras al-Khaimah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ras al-Khaimah pays 214% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Ras al-Khaimah. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $267, with Ras al-Khaimah 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 Ras al-Khaimah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 214% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $718 in Ras al-Khaimah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $248 in Ras al-Khaimah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ras al-Khaimah pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,943 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 55% less than in Ras al-Khaimah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.