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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,240 in Riffa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,920 in Riffa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,600 in Riffa.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 1% less than in Riffa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Riffa 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.57 BHD 2.47

-32.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$40.07 BHD 15.10

-19.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.10 BHD 2.30

46.39%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.92 BHD 1.48

-26.02%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.63 BHD 0.24

39.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.26 BHD 0.10

84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$6.75 BHD 2.54

-65.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$8.08 BHD 3.05

-53.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.46 BHD 0.55

28.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.68 BHD 0.26

116.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.89 BHD 0.71

-17.99%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.26 BHD 0.85

-7.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.92 BHD 2.98

147.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.96 BHD 2.25

-42.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$8.66 BHD 3.27

31.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.33 BHD 0.88

27.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.69 BHD 0.64

-0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.85 BHD 0.70

19.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.03 BHD 0.39

109.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.01 BHD 0.38

50.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.68 BHD 0.26

97.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.51 BHD 0.19

121.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.51 BHD 0.19

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.18 BHD 1.95

-17.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$13.16 BHD 4.96

45.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.83 BHD 0.69

-2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.60 BHD 0.98

6.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.81 BHD 0.31

175.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$35.93 BHD 13.54

-36.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$5.33 BHD 2.01

-43.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$3.47 BHD 1.31

-70.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$10.65 BHD 4.01

-63.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.47 BHD 0.18

217.02%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$22.4K BHD 8,451

18.55%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$20.8K BHD 7,857

29.65%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$131 BHD 49.33

-21.71%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$24.04 BHD 9.06

-52.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$35.17 BHD 13.25

-50.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$72.9 BHD 27.48

-28.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$13.08 BHD 4.93

-15.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$10.48 BHD 3.95

-26.62%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$481 BHD 181

16.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$5,745 BHD 2,165

100.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$29.48 BHD 11.11

113.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$21.48 BHD 8.10

37.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$66.4 BHD 25.02

47.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$39.07 BHD 14.72

126.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$910 BHD 343

-18.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$424 BHD 160

13.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,519 BHD 572

38.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$852 BHD 321

43.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,412 BHD 532

-65.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.5

1.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Riffa: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $910 in Riffa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riffa pays 186% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Riffa. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $205, 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 186% lower in Riffa. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $910 in Riffa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $481 in Riffa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Riffa pay roughly 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,240 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 1% less than in Riffa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.