Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tabuk

For one person, living is cheaper in Tabuk: $1,178 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Tabuk
Learn more

Tabuk Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Tabuk

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,178

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tabuk

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Tabuk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,178 in Tabuk.

Phuket $1,294
Tabuk $1,178

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,766 in Tabuk.

Phuket $2,204
Tabuk $1,766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $2,354 in Tabuk.

Phuket $3,115
Tabuk $2,354

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than in Tabuk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Tabuk 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$7.33 SAR 27.50

-40.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,078

$31.31 SAR 118

3.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿290

$7.55 SAR 28.34

15.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 SAR 5.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 SAR 6.01

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿90.9

$3.13 SAR 11.76

-13.10%

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

$0.93 ฿31.06

$0.73 SAR 2.73

27.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.67

$0.26 SAR 0.97

92.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.89 SAR 7.11

-7.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$0.91 SAR 3.40

59.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.1

$2.68 SAR 10.05

-44.03%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.5

$2.95 SAR 11.06

-26.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿637

$12.63 SAR 47.41

51.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿113

$6.74 SAR 25.29

-49.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$12.74 SAR 47.81

-14.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.2

$1.95 SAR 7.31

50.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$1.67 SAR 6.28

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.2

$1.81 SAR 6.78

20.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿70.9

$2.14 SAR 8.04

-0.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.68

$1.69 SAR 6.36

-13.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.66

$2.09 SAR 7.86

-34.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.91

$1.89 SAR 7.09

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$0.60 SAR 2.24

-8.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.72

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$6.62 SAR 24.86

-33.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿609

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.05 SAR 3.94

38.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,832

$36.23 SAR 136

51.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$2.70 SAR 10.14

-44.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.90

$1.69 SAR 6.34

-53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$14.98 SAR 56.2

-74.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.65

$0.65 SAR 2.44

129.23%

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

$26.9K ฿897.3K

$27.0K SAR 101.5K

-0.58%

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

$26.3K ฿879.4K

$20.4K SAR 76.6K

29.07%

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

$97.8 ฿3,265

$104 SAR 392

-6.38%

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

$11.29 ฿377

$36.05 SAR 135

-68.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿574

$75.8 SAR 284

-77.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,281

$79.5 SAR 298

-14.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$13.35 SAR 50.1

-44.34%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$428 SAR 1,605

24.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿626.9K

$8,508 SAR 31.9K

120.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,059

$40.00 SAR 150

54.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿943

$47.44 SAR 178

-40.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,204

$90.1 SAR 338

6.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,898

$91.1 SAR 342

-4.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$309 SAR 1,159

133.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$338 SAR 1,270

50.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.1K

$556 SAR 2,087

250.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.6K

$567 SAR 2,128

146.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿139.9K

$1,966 SAR 7,379

113.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.1K

$1,192 SAR 4,474

176.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$1,716 SAR 6,442

-71.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.54

0.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tabuk: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Tabuk

$338 28.7% 33.5% $171

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Tabuk

$222 18.8% 16.8% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Tabuk

$216 18.4% 71.3% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Tabuk

$121 10.3% 1.5% $1.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Tabuk

$123 10.4% 2.7% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Tabuk

$106 9% 27.7% $23

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Tabuk

$52 4.4% 21.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $309 in Tabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tabuk pays about 3.5 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $31 in Tabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $222 per month, with Tabuk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇦 Tabuk

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

01:34 1:34 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

512,629

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Tabuk 6,840 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tabuk

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Tabuk is about 9% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Phuket. 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: $721 in Phuket versus $309 in Tabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $428 in Tabuk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Tabuk gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tabuk are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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