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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,173 in Sakakah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,762 in Sakakah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,351 in Sakakah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than in Sakakah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Sakakah 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$5.96 SAR 22.38

-23.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$37.04 SAR 139

-11.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$7.83 SAR 29.39

13.67%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 SAR 7.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.95

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.52 SAR 13.23

-20.45%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.68 SAR 2.55

29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.32 SAR 1.19

53.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.64 SAR 6.17

9.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.03 SAR 3.87

39.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$2.24 SAR 8.40

-29.46%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.35 SAR 8.82

-9.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$7.52 SAR 28.22

164.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$7.89 SAR 29.63

-56.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$13.04 SAR 48.97

-13.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.04 SAR 7.67

44.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.70 SAR 6.39

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.58 SAR 5.94

46.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.65 SAR 6.21

26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$1.14 SAR 4.27

28.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.35 SAR 5.07

0.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$1.20 SAR 4.51

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.59 SAR 2.20

-3.39%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.77 SAR 10.40

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$6.50 SAR 24.42

-34.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$1.03 SAR 3.88

115.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$36.52 SAR 137

-37.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$2.99 SAR 11.22

1.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$1.84 SAR 6.92

-41.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$13.26 SAR 49.79

-70.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$0.62 SAR 2.35

140.32%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$45.0K SAR 168.8K

-39.66%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$21.1K SAR 79.4K

29.80%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$102 SAR 384

0.43%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$32.61 SAR 122

-66.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$66.1 SAR 248

-73.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$82.9 SAR 311

-35.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$36.86 SAR 138

-69.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$13.49 SAR 50.7

-44.55%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$347 SAR 1,302

60.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$6,508 SAR 24.4K

82.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$49.93 SAR 187

28.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$59.5 SAR 223

-51.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$98.0 SAR 368

-2.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$88.5 SAR 332

2.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$571 SAR 2,144

27.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$338 SAR 1,267

48.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$860 SAR 3,230

143.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$554 SAR 2,081

118.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,316 SAR 8,698

55.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,378 SAR 5,175

82.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$937 SAR 3,517

-46.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.47

1.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Sakakah: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $571 in Sakakah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sakakah pays 86% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Sakakah. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $199, 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, Eating Out. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Sakakah. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $571 in Sakakah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $347 in Sakakah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,173 in Sakakah versus $1,253 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 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.