Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Riyadh Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Riyadh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,734 in Riyadh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,582 in Riyadh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $3,429 in Riyadh.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 27% less than in Riyadh, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Riyadh is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$7.79 SAR 29.23

-40.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,066

$64.8 SAR 243

-50.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$8.87 SAR 33.29

-2.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 SAR 7.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 SAR 11.14

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.9

$4.23 SAR 15.87

-31.44%

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

$0.84 ฿27.91

$0.85 SAR 3.19

-1.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.17

$0.32 SAR 1.22

53.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.68 SAR 6.32

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.58

$1.25 SAR 4.70

12.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.45 SAR 9.21

-33.88%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.19 SAR 11.98

-29.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$9.69 SAR 36.37

104.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$9.95 SAR 37.34

-65.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$15.17 SAR 57.0

-25.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.9

$2.62 SAR 9.84

10.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.95 SAR 7.30

-11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.2

$2.36 SAR 8.87

-3.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.5

$1.73 SAR 6.50

23.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$1.20 SAR 4.50

22.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.96

$1.43 SAR 5.37

-0.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.29

$1.71 SAR 6.43

-35.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.78

$0.59 SAR 2.21

1.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.75 SAR 29.10

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SAR 9.28

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$7.51 SAR 28.18

-42.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.3

$1.09 SAR 4.08

106.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿777

$37.56 SAR 141

-37.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿103

$3.28 SAR 12.33

-5.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.59

$1.89 SAR 7.09

-42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$13.13 SAR 49.30

-70.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.20

$0.59 SAR 2.23

142.37%

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

$27.8K ฿918.9K

$35.9K SAR 134.7K

-22.56%

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

$27.0K ฿892.4K

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

20.51%

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

$105 ฿3,466

$97.0 SAR 364

8.05%

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

$11.39 ฿377

$32.37 SAR 122

-64.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$68.6 SAR 258

-74.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,797

$89.7 SAR 337

-39.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$54.9 SAR 206

-79.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$13.29 SAR 49.87

-41.46%

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

$576 ฿19.1K

$533 SAR 1,999

8.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿383.0K

$11.3K SAR 42.5K

2.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,104

$58.9 SAR 221

8.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿962

$56.1 SAR 211

-48.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,182

$106 SAR 398

-9.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,977

$104 SAR 392

-13.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$1,174 SAR 4,406

-37.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.6K

$830 SAR 3,116

-39.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.3K

$2,205 SAR 8,277

-3.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$1,223 SAR 4,593

2.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.9K

$2,935 SAR 11.0K

20.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.7K

$1,962 SAR 7,364

33.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$2,052 SAR 7,702

-75.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.54

0.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $1,174 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 304% 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 $65.0 in Riyadh. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $240, with Riyadh 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 Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 304% lower in Riyadh. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $1,174 in Riyadh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $533 in Riyadh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Riyadh pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,734 in Riyadh, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. 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 Riyadh, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Riyadh 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 37% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.