Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ruwais Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ruwais

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,703 in Ruwais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,505 in Ruwais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,306 in Ruwais.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 26% less than in Ruwais, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Ruwais is 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$6.84 AED 25.14

-31.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$37.56 AED 138

20.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$7.46 AED 27.42

13.00%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$4.63 AED 17.01

-36.72%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.76 AED 2.77

-9.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.35 AED 1.28

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$10.51 AED 38.61

-77.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$9.93 AED 36.46

-62.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.84 AED 6.76

21.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.52 AED 5.60

20.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.86 AED 6.84

16.67%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$3.07 AED 11.27

-28.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$2.75 AED 10.08

617.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.59 AED 27.87

-52.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.73 AED 24.72

101.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.96 AED 10.88

10.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.67 AED 6.14

-3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.39 AED 5.10

73.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.78 AED 2.87

166.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.65 AED 2.39

135.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.42 AED 1.55

252.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.60 AED 5.88

-38.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.62 AED 2.27

-17.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.66 AED 24.47

-33.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$12.48 AED 45.84

55.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.33 AED 4.87

33.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.75 AED 10.08

-1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.67 AED 6.13

-17.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$52.1 AED 191

-78.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$2.70 AED 9.93

11.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.70 AED 2.57

41.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.05 AED 29.56

75.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.74 AED 2.70

83.78%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$44.8K AED 164.5K

-37.02%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.5K AED 82.5K

46.42%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$90.3 AED 332

34.71%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$53.9 AED 198

-74.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$96.9 AED 356

-81.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$64.1 AED 235

-6.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$39.61 AED 145

-56.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.45 AED 42.06

-24.10%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$590 AED 2,167

17.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,756 AED 13.8K

317.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$22.19 AED 81.5

168.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$81.3 AED 299

-57.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$79.7 AED 293

43.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$54.0 AED 198

54.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$747 AED 2,743

-17.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$768 AED 2,821

-43.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$2,544 AED 9,344

-17.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,380 AED 5,068

9.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,622 AED 17.0K

-18.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$2,005 AED 7,365

30.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,681 AED 9,849

-81.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.71

13.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ruwais: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $747 in Ruwais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 428% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Ruwais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $208 per month, with Ruwais 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 Ruwais: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ruwais earns 428% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $747 in Ruwais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $590 in Ruwais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ruwais pay roughly 41% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,703 in Ruwais, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ruwais. 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 Ruwais, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ruwais 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 35% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.