Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Souk Ahras Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Souk Ahras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $559 in Souk Ahras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $858 in Souk Ahras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,158 in Souk Ahras.

Living in Phuket is roughly 126% more expensive than in Souk Ahras, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Souk Ahras 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.38 DZD 314

88.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$10.80 DZD 1,428

322.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.96 DZD 524

121.21%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$0.67 DZD 88.4

343.28%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.50 DZD 65.6

38.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.23 DZD 30.50

69.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.98 DZD 261

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.34 DZD 309

60.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.88 DZD 117

144.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.23 DZD 30.17

691.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.24 DZD 164

75.81%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.97 DZD 260

14.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$3.34 DZD 441

498.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.79 DZD 369

30.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$16.98 DZD 2,246

-20.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.56 DZD 206

107.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$3.07 DZD 406

-46.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.22 DZD 162

90.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.18 DZD 156

75.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.43 DZD 56.9

260.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.41 DZD 54.6

256.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.25 DZD 33.30

292.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.29 DZD 38.65

65.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.21 DZD 292

96.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.88 DZD 778

215.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.35 DZD 179

37.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.18 DZD 288

21.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.18 DZD 23.24

688.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$17.55 DZD 2,321

-34.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.65 DZD 86.6

387.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.45 DZD 59.1

128.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$5.24 DZD 693

165.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.31 DZD 40.93

332.26%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$32.5K DZD 4.3M

-14.40%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$33.1K DZD 4.4M

0.90%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$41.11 DZD 5,435

199.32%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$9.53 DZD 1,259

44.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$20.24 DZD 2,676

-9.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$12.20 DZD 1,612

397.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$3.90 DZD 515

340.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.50 DZD 727

61.27%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$93.0 DZD 12.3K

639.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,590 DZD 474.7K

339.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$31.12 DZD 4,114

90.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$45.62 DZD 6,031

-23.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$78.8 DZD 10.4K

46.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$80.3 DZD 10.6K

4.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$198 DZD 26.2K

213.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$115 DZD 15.2K

286.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$301 DZD 39.7K

576.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$183 DZD 24.1K

719.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,147 DZD 151.7K

201.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,113 DZD 147.1K

127.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$296 DZD 39.1K

66.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.42

-1.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Souk Ahras: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $198 in Souk Ahras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 67% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Souk Ahras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $165 per month, with Souk Ahras 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 Souk Ahras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Souk Ahras is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $198 in Souk Ahras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $93.0 in Souk Ahras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $559 in Souk Ahras versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Souk Ahras but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Souk Ahras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Souk Ahras 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 Souk Ahras 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 Souk Ahras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.