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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,191 in Sakakah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,635 in Sakakah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,079 in Sakakah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than in Sakakah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sakakah 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.89 SAR 22.10

-22.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$44.60 SAR 167

3.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.75 SAR 29.11

14.06%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 SAR 7.90

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.66 SAR 13.75

-16.39%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.65 SAR 2.44

12.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.34 SAR 1.28

17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.63 SAR 6.13

38.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.98 SAR 3.69

84.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.30 SAR 8.65

-2.17%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.48 SAR 9.33

-9.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.07 SAR 26.55

175.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.62 SAR 28.60

-52.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$12.82 SAR 48.15

1.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.19 SAR 8.23

47.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.65 SAR 6.19

-1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.70 SAR 6.37

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.57 SAR 5.89

29.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.22 SAR 4.59

25.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.27 SAR 4.76

18.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.23 SAR 4.62

-20.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.54 SAR 2.04

-3.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.49 SAR 9.36

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.39

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$7.19 SAR 26.99

-38.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.04 SAR 3.92

35.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$40.73 SAR 153

-71.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.70 SAR 10.14

15.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.89 SAR 7.08

-44.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$13.30 SAR 49.93

6.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.63 SAR 2.36

107.94%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$27.0K SAR 101.5K

2.90%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$22.6K SAR 84.7K

47.27%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$107 SAR 401

14.67%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$34.33 SAR 129

-60.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$72.9 SAR 274

-74.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$59.6 SAR 224

1.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$35.80 SAR 134

-52.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$15.68 SAR 58.9

-42.16%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$356 SAR 1,336

98.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$7,006 SAR 26.3K

125.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$58.3 SAR 219

0.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$60.0 SAR 225

-41.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$78.0 SAR 293

48.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$81.8 SAR 307

2.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$225 SAR 844

178.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$374 SAR 1,403

19.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$347 SAR 1,304

487.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$309 SAR 1,161

382.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,043 SAR 7,670

70.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,506 SAR 5,653

71.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$923 SAR 3,467

-45.87%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sakakah: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $225 in Sakakah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sakakah pays 85% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Sakakah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $196 per month, with Sakakah 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 Sakakah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sakakah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 85% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $225 in Sakakah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $356 in Sakakah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,191 in Sakakah versus $1,250 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 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.