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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,655 in Ruwais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,507 in Ruwais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,360 in Ruwais.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 24% less than in Ruwais, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Ruwais is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.73 AED 24.71

-32.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$37.83 AED 139

22.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.81 AED 28.70

13.19%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.74 AED 17.41

-35.44%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.77 AED 2.82

-5.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.37 AED 1.37

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$10.56 AED 38.80

-76.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$9.43 AED 34.62

-59.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.83 AED 6.73

23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.48 AED 5.44

22.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.93 AED 7.08

16.58%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.12 AED 11.47

-27.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$2.75 AED 10.09

609.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.56 AED 27.77

-51.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.79 AED 24.92

92.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.88 AED 10.57

12.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.67 AED 6.13

-2.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.40 AED 5.14

70.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.85 AED 3.13

138.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.65 AED 2.40

135.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.40 AED 1.46

275.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.60 AED 5.88

-38.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.66 AED 2.41

-21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.70 AED 24.60

-33.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$12.34 AED 45.33

48.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.35 AED 4.94

37.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.67 AED 9.81

0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.64 AED 6.04

-14.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$52.2 AED 192

-77.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.77 AED 10.19

12.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.65 AED 2.38

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$8.32 AED 30.57

69.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.75 AED 2.74

74.67%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$46.0K AED 169.0K

-39.56%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.3K AED 81.8K

49.14%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$92.0 AED 338

33.16%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$52.2 AED 192

-73.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$96.0 AED 353

-80.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$64.4 AED 236

-6.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$39.25 AED 144

-56.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$11.50 AED 42.23

-21.13%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$586 AED 2,154

20.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,814 AED 14.0K

314.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$21.81 AED 80.1

168.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$80.8 AED 297

-56.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$80.1 AED 294

44.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$54.2 AED 199

54.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$747 AED 2,743

-16.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$750 AED 2,753

-40.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$2,472 AED 9,080

-17.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,344 AED 4,935

11.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$5,008 AED 18.4K

-30.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,399 AED 8,812

7.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$2,753 AED 10.1K

-81.85%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ruwais: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $747 in Ruwais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 451% 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 $38.00 in Ruwais for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 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 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 451% lower in Ruwais. 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 $747 in Ruwais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $586 in Ruwais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ruwais pay roughly 39% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,655 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 32% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.