Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shubra Al Khaymah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Shubra Al Khaymah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $449 in Shubra Al Khaymah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $728 in Shubra Al Khaymah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,007 in Shubra Al Khaymah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 182% more expensive than in Shubra Al Khaymah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Shubra Al Khaymah 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.53 E£178

26.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$16.09 E£810

183.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.73 E£238

85.20%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.48 E£74.7

100.68%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.29 E£14.53

137.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.12 E£6.14

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.20 E£60.5

110.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.78 E£140

34.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.79 E£39.82

172.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.62 E£31.23

193.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.66 E£33.13

230.30%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.45 E£73.1

55.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$3.33 E£168

500.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.32 E£217

-15.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.46 E£426

60.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.41 E£70.8

129.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.55 E£27.54

198.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.40 E£20.03

482.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.37 E£18.42

459.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.40 E£20.24

287.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.41 E£20.60

256.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.24 E£12.09

308.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.20 E£9.90

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$1.96 E£98.6

121.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.75 E£289

222.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.24 E£62.2

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.77 E£89.2

49.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.16 E£8.24

787.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.39 E£19.53

712.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.29 E£14.49

255.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.03 E£51.7

1248.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.33 E£16.70

306.06%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$35.9K E£1.8M

-22.54%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$30.8K E£1.6M

8.26%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$11.28 E£567

990.87%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$5.76 E£290

139.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$9.86 E£496

85.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$22.17 E£1,115

173.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$2.98 E£150

197.65%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$90.3 E£4,543

661.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,864 E£93.8K

746.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$27.73 E£1,395

113.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$43.99 E£2,213

-21.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$105 E£5,300

9.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$49.76 E£2,503

68.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$190 E£9,570

226.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$100.0 E£5,029

346.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$312 E£15.7K

551.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$177 E£8,890

746.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$798 E£40.2K

332.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$388 E£19.5K

552.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.67

-68.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shubra Al Khaymah: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $190 in Shubra Al Khaymah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Shubra Al Khaymah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $120 per month, with Shubra Al Khaymah 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 Shubra Al Khaymah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shubra Al Khaymah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 182% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $673 in Shubra Al Khaymah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $190 in Shubra Al Khaymah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $90.3 in Shubra Al Khaymah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shubra Al Khaymah – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $449 in Shubra Al Khaymah versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shubra Al Khaymah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shubra Al Khaymah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shubra Al Khaymah 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 Shubra Al Khaymah 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 Shubra Al Khaymah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.