Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Saar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,995 in Saar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,793 in Saar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,590 in Saar.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 37% less than in Saar, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Saar is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$10.47 BHD 3.95

-55.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$32.54 BHD 12.27

39.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$10.40 BHD 3.92

-18.94%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$5.81 BHD 2.19

-49.57%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.96 BHD 0.36

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.44 BHD 0.17

-15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$6.09 BHD 2.30

-60.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$9.04 BHD 3.41

-58.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.67 BHD 0.63

33.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.31 BHD 0.50

39.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.63 BHD 0.99

-17.49%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.60 BHD 0.98

-15.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$13.16 BHD 4.96

50.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.60 BHD 2.49

-45.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.79 BHD 5.95

-14.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.88 BHD 1.46

-15.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.37 BHD 0.89

-32.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.60 BHD 1.36

-33.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.93 BHD 0.73

7.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.69 BHD 0.26

121.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.68 BHD 0.63

-11.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$26.54 BHD 10.01

-26.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$5.28 BHD 1.99

-42.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$122 ฿3,975

$135 BHD 50.8

-9.58%

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

$13.57 ฿443

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$32.34 BHD 12.19

-43.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$189 BHD 71.2

-68.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$108 BHD 40.75

-84.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$20.97 BHD 7.90

-58.56%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$553 BHD 209

25.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$7,994 BHD 3,014

96.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$91.6 BHD 34.52

-34.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$39.16 BHD 14.76

-11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$107 BHD 40.37

7.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$106 BHD 39.82

-21.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,309 BHD 494

-53.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$944 BHD 356

-53.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$2,131 BHD 804

-1.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,171 BHD 441

28.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,216 BHD 835

18.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,428 BHD 915

-79.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Saar: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,309 in Saar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saar pays 378% 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 $33.00 in Saar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $287 per month, with Saar 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 Saar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Saar earns 378% 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 $1,309 in Saar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $553 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 $45.00 versus $33.00 in Saar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,995 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 58% less than in Saar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.