Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tabuk Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tabuk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,345 in Tabuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,022 in Tabuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,699 in Tabuk.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 8% less than in Tabuk, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Tabuk is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$8.67 SAR 32.51

-46.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$28.02 SAR 105

67.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.03 SAR 26.37

25.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 SAR 7.16

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.94 SAR 11.03

2.04%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.75 SAR 2.80

-1.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.28 SAR 1.06

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.89 SAR 7.07

19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.57 SAR 2.12

222.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.83 SAR 10.62

-20.85%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.57 SAR 9.64

-9.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$12.39 SAR 46.46

58.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.65 SAR 24.94

-45.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$12.74 SAR 47.79

2.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.98 SAR 7.44

71.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.60 SAR 6.01

2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.72 SAR 6.46

40.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.17 SAR 8.14

-6.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.77 SAR 6.63

-11.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.05 SAR 7.69

-26.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.98 SAR 7.44

-48.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.58 SAR 2.17

-15.52%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.92 SAR 10.94

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$7.58 SAR 28.42

-41.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.06 SAR 3.97

32.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$40.56 SAR 152

-71.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.73 SAR 10.26

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.83 SAR 6.86

-45.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$13.58 SAR 50.9

3.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.66 SAR 2.47

104.55%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$27.1K SAR 101.6K

0.33%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.1K SAR 82.9K

48.89%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$160 SAR 602

-22.11%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$36.74 SAR 138

-63.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$103 SAR 384

-81.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$89.5 SAR 336

-31.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$35.09 SAR 132

-52.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$25.61 SAR 96.0

-64.12%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$354 SAR 1,326

97.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$8,468 SAR 31.8K

84.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$58.8 SAR 221

-1.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$59.5 SAR 223

-40.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$80.5 SAR 302

40.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$82.6 SAR 310

4.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$345 SAR 1,292

78.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$361 SAR 1,352

23.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$822 SAR 3,082

149.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$723 SAR 2,712

106.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,542 SAR 9,532

48.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,146 SAR 4,297

131.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,740 SAR 6,527

-69.90%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tabuk: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $345 in Tabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tabuk pays 232% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Tabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $216 per month, with Tabuk 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 Tabuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Tabuk earns 232% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $345 in Tabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $354 in Tabuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tabuk pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,345 in Tabuk, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tabuk. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

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