Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sakakah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sakakah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,165 in Sakakah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,656 in Sakakah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,147 in Sakakah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than Sakakah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sakakah 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.70 SAR 21.39

-17.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$44.82 SAR 168

1.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$7.88 SAR 29.56

6.98%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 SAR 8.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.07

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.65 SAR 13.70

-19.73%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.70 SAR 2.64

-1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.31 SAR 1.18

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.64 SAR 6.16

35.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.98 SAR 3.69

86.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.39 SAR 8.96

-9.21%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.50 SAR 9.39

-11.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.78 SAR 25.43

191.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.27 SAR 27.27

-50.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.25 SAR 49.71

2.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.16 SAR 8.11

51.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.59 SAR 5.98

1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.72 SAR 6.46

40.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.60 SAR 6.02

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.27 SAR 4.78

20.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.28 SAR 4.81

15.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.19 SAR 4.47

-16.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.59 SAR 2.21

-13.56%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.97 SAR 11.16

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SAR 7.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.89 SAR 25.88

-35.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

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

$1.10 SAR 4.13

24.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$39.76 SAR 149

-71.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.61 SAR 9.79

15.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.84 SAR 6.92

-46.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$13.36 SAR 50.1

5.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.58 SAR 2.19

134.48%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$26.8K SAR 100.6K

5.25%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.9K SAR 82.3K

50.04%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$105 SAR 392

16.46%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$33.71 SAR 127

-59.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$72.8 SAR 273

-74.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$60.1 SAR 226

0.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$35.30 SAR 132

-51.44%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$15.38 SAR 57.7

-43.50%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$357 SAR 1,339

94.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$7,040 SAR 26.4K

122.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$60.4 SAR 227

-1.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$61.0 SAR 229

-43.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$78.1 SAR 293

46.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$80.7 SAR 303

3.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$225 SAR 846

172.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$384 SAR 1,441

13.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$344 SAR 1,291

508.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$301 SAR 1,131

400.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,070 SAR 7,767

81.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,481 SAR 5,559

76.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$918 SAR 3,446

-44.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.42

20.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sakakah: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $225 in Sakakah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sakakah pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Sakakah. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $196, with Sakakah 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 Sakakah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sakakah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sakakah earns 81% 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 $225 in Sakakah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $357 in Sakakah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,165 in Sakakah versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sakakah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sakakah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sakakah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sakakah 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 Sakakah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.