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 $1,244 in Tabuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,848 in Tabuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,453 in Tabuk.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 1% less than in Tabuk, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Tabuk 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.55 SAR 28.33

-41.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$32.11 SAR 121

0.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.70 SAR 28.92

15.97%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 SAR 5.14

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$3.13 SAR 11.76

-7.35%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.72 SAR 2.72

22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.26 SAR 0.97

84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.98 SAR 7.44

-5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.92 SAR 3.46

59.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.71 SAR 10.18

-42.80%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.82 SAR 10.60

-25.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$12.47 SAR 46.83

57.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.82 SAR 25.62

-49.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$13.20 SAR 49.57

-13.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$1.95 SAR 7.31

52.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.66 SAR 6.24

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.74 SAR 6.53

27.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$2.24 SAR 8.40

-3.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-13.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$2.06 SAR 7.72

-34.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.92 SAR 7.21

-41.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.55 SAR 2.08

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.73 SAR 25.29

-36.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$1.10 SAR 4.12

102.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$35.75 SAR 134

-36.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.98 SAR 11.20

1.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$1.76 SAR 6.61

-42.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$13.11 SAR 49.22

-70.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$0.66 SAR 2.49

125.76%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$45.7K SAR 171.8K

-41.89%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$21.7K SAR 81.5K

24.60%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$101 SAR 379

1.59%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$36.18 SAR 136

-68.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$76.6 SAR 288

-77.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$84.8 SAR 319

-38.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$37.50 SAR 141

-70.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$13.26 SAR 49.78

-42.01%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$351 SAR 1,316

59.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$8,364 SAR 31.4K

37.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$50.7 SAR 190

24.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$57.1 SAR 214

-48.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$95.7 SAR 359

2.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$87.0 SAR 327

1.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$337 SAR 1,267

118.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$371 SAR 1,392

30.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$631 SAR 2,368

234.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$610 SAR 2,289

101.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,335 SAR 8,768

54.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,399 SAR 5,254

86.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,697 SAR 6,372

-70.91%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Tabuk: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $337 in Tabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tabuk pays 244% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Tabuk. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $224, with Tabuk 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 Tabuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 244% lower in Tabuk. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $337 in Tabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $351 in Tabuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tabuk pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,244 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 1% less than in Tabuk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.