Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Riffa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Riffa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,389 in Riffa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,085 in Riffa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,781 in Riffa.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 9% less than in Riffa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Riffa is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$6.64 BHD 2.50

-31.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$47.10 BHD 17.75

-1.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.93 BHD 2.23

42.83%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.95 BHD 0.73

55.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.58 BHD 0.22

18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.28 BHD 0.11

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$8.03 BHD 3.03

-68.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$10.71 BHD 4.04

-65.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.36 BHD 0.51

60.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.32 BHD 0.50

43.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.41 BHD 0.91

-8.71%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.15 BHD 0.81

3.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.65 BHD 3.26

131.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.71 BHD 2.53

-45.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.12 BHD 3.81

30.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.34 BHD 0.88

38.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.83 BHD 0.69

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.71 BHD 0.64

39.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.16 BHD 0.44

79.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.93 BHD 0.35

70.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.08 BHD 0.41

37.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.52 BHD 0.57

-32.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.55 BHD 0.21

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.76 BHD 2.55

-37.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$13.03 BHD 4.91

44.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$3.52 BHD 1.33

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$3.19 BHD 1.20

-13.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.82 BHD 0.31

65.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$32.28 BHD 12.16

-64.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$4.78 BHD 1.80

-34.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$3.95 BHD 1.49

-73.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$26.39 BHD 9.95

-47.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.36 BHD 0.13

272.22%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.5K BHD 9,976

4.56%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.8K BHD 7,857

62.45%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$119 BHD 44.99

3.54%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$26.56 BHD 10.01

-49.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$38.27 BHD 14.42

-51.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$79.8 BHD 30.07

-22.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$8.10 BHD 3.05

12.84%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$385 BHD 145

82.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,745 BHD 2,542

135.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$39.19 BHD 14.77

51.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$62.3 BHD 23.49

-43.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$65.2 BHD 24.55

76.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$39.01 BHD 14.70

115.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$1,164 BHD 439

-46.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$538 BHD 203

-19.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$2,149 BHD 810

-4.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$941 BHD 355

60.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,365 BHD 515

-62.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Riffa: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,164 in Riffa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riffa pays 169% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Riffa. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $238, with Riffa 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 Riffa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Riffa earns 169% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $1,164 in Riffa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $385 in Riffa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Riffa pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,389 in Riffa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Riffa. 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 Riffa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Riffa 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 10% less than in Riffa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.