Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saar

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,973 in Saar, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Saar

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$1,973

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Saar

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Saar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,973 in Saar.

Phuket $1,208
Saar $1,973

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $2,761 in Saar.

Phuket $2,027
Saar $2,761

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $3,549 in Saar.

Phuket $2,845
Saar $3,549

Living in Phuket costs roughly 39% less than in Saar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Saar is 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$10.72 BHD 4.05

-58.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$33.26 BHD 12.55

-3.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$10.54 BHD 3.98

-16.89%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$5.74 BHD 2.17

-50.70%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.63 BHD 0.62

-44.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.00 BHD 0.38

-53.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$6.05 BHD 2.28

-57.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$9.54 BHD 3.60

-59.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.73 BHD 0.65

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.30 BHD 0.49

13.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$2.68 BHD 1.01

-43.66%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.72 BHD 1.03

-20.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$13.28 BHD 5.01

48.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$6.69 BHD 2.52

-50.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$15.98 BHD 6.03

-30.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$3.86 BHD 1.46

-26.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$2.41 BHD 0.91

-29.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$3.62 BHD 1.37

-39.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.95 BHD 0.73

5.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.67 BHD 0.25

116.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.62 BHD 0.61

-14.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.80 BHD 0.30

-36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$26.02 BHD 9.82

-28.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.80 BHD 0.30

182.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$5.27 BHD 1.99

-42.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.61 BHD 0.23

137.70%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$130 BHD 49.12

-25.95%

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

$11.04 ฿369

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$32.23 BHD 12.16

-46.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$157 BHD 59.4

-66.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$105 BHD 39.56

-89.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$15.57 BHD 5.88

-49.84%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$554 BHD 209

0.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$7,839 BHD 2,958

47.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$91.1 BHD 34.40

-29.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$39.39 BHD 14.87

-27.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$104 BHD 39.32

-8.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$105 BHD 39.45

-15.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$1,345 BHD 508

-45.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$917 BHD 346

-49.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$2,141 BHD 808

-2.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$1,210 BHD 457

-0.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,111 BHD 797

19.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$2,423 BHD 915

-79.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Saar: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Saar

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Saar

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Saar

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Saar

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Saar

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Saar

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Saar

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $1,345 in Saar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saar pays 384% 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 $33.00 in Saar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $298 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇭 Saar

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

06:17 6:17 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

6,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Saar 5,440 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Saar

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Saar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 384% lower in Saar. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $1,345 in Saar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $554 in Saar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $33.00 in Saar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,973 in Saar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saar. 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 Saar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Saar 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 63% less than in Saar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.