Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taif Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taif

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $922 in Taif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,467 in Taif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,011 in Taif.

Living in Phuket is roughly 37% more expensive than Taif, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Taif 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.25 SAR 19.69

-10.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$40.17 SAR 151

12.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.71 SAR 25.18

25.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 SAR 7.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.92 SAR 10.96

0.34%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.72 SAR 2.70

-4.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.26 SAR 0.97

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.37 SAR 5.14

62.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.26 SAR 0.96

603.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.36 SAR 8.88

-8.05%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.56 SAR 9.61

-13.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.38 SAR 27.70

167.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.99 SAR 22.49

-39.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.73 SAR 40.25

26.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.28 SAR 8.55

43.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.59 SAR 5.96

1.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.02 SAR 7.59

19.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.92 SAR 7.19

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.46 SAR 5.48

4.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.56 SAR 5.87

-5.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.85 SAR 3.19

16.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.97 SAR 3.65

-47.42%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 SAR 7.20

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.55 SAR 24.56

-32.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.08 SAR 4.07

26.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$40.19 SAR 151

-71.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.72 SAR 10.21

11.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$2.04 SAR 7.67

-51.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$13.18 SAR 49.45

6.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.60 SAR 2.26

126.67%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.7K SAR 74.0K

43.00%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.0K SAR 75.0K

64.63%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$73.2 SAR 275

66.23%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$28.41 SAR 107

-52.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$88.5 SAR 332

-79.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$76.0 SAR 285

-20.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$37.04 SAR 139

-53.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$17.58 SAR 66.0

-50.57%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$264 SAR 991

162.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,548 SAR 20.8K

182.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$38.85 SAR 146

53.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$42.12 SAR 158

-17.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$79.9 SAR 300

43.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$46.88 SAR 176

77.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$214 SAR 804

186.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$173 SAR 649

152.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$433 SAR 1,626

383.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$349 SAR 1,309

332.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,130 SAR 7,993

76.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,248 SAR 4,685

109.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,031 SAR 7,622

-74.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.6

15.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Taif: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $214 in Taif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taif pays 300% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Taif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $181 per month, with Taif 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 Taif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taif is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Taif earns 300% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $214 in Taif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $264 in Taif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $922 in Taif versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taif but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Taif the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Taif 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 Taif 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 Taif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.