Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taif

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Taif: $1,208 and $1,255 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Taif
Learn more

Taif Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Taif

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Taif

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 Taif actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,255 in Taif.

Phuket $1,208
Taif $1,255

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,844 in Taif.

Phuket $2,027
Taif $1,844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,434 in Taif.

Phuket $2,845
Taif $2,434

Living in Phuket costs roughly 4% less than in Taif, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Taif 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$5.35 SAR 20.09

-17.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$38.34 SAR 144

-15.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.40 SAR 27.76

18.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 SAR 8.13

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.16 SAR 8.12

31.02%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.69 SAR 2.60

30.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.22 SAR 0.84

113.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.78 SAR 6.68

-2.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.26 SAR 0.97

465.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$2.32 SAR 8.69

-34.91%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.60 SAR 9.75

-16.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$6.02 SAR 22.60

227.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$6.76 SAR 25.35

-50.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$9.18 SAR 34.45

21.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.32 SAR 8.71

22.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.79 SAR 6.72

-5.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.89 SAR 7.07

15.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.85 SAR 6.93

10.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.29 SAR 4.85

12.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.50 SAR 5.62

-8.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.92 SAR 3.44

16.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.83 SAR 3.10

-38.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.97 SAR 11.14

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SAR 5.43

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.59 SAR 24.72

-35.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.04 SAR 3.91

117.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$36.81 SAR 138

-39.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.30 SAR 4.87

131.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$2.03 SAR 7.60

-47.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$9.34 SAR 35.06

-58.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.60 SAR 2.23

141.67%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$26.1K SAR 97.8K

1.04%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$22.0K SAR 82.5K

22.56%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$142 SAR 531

-31.93%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$27.78 SAR 104

-60.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$68.6 SAR 258

-75.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$146 SAR 550

-64.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$13.36 SAR 50.1

-16.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$20.00 SAR 75.1

-60.95%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$183 SAR 688

203.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$3,266 SAR 12.3K

254.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$42.45 SAR 159

51.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$57.0 SAR 214

-49.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$96.0 SAR 360

-0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$87.6 SAR 329

0.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$577 SAR 2,166

27.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$377 SAR 1,415

22.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$833 SAR 3,127

151.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$571 SAR 2,144

110.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,370 SAR 8,893

47.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,346 SAR 5,050

87.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$1,574 SAR 5,906

-68.19%

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Taif: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Taif

$377 30.1% 18.4% $85

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Taif

$179 14.3% 33.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Taif

$238 19% 91.1% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Taif

$127 10.2% 2.4% $3

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Taif

$95 7.5% 21.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Taif

$186 14.9% 175% $119

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Taif

$52 4.2% 32.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $577 in Taif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taif pays 214% 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 $38.00 in Taif. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $179, with Taif cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇦 Taif

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

15:29 3:29 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

579,970

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Taif 6,380 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Taif

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 Taif: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, leisure, and transport. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 214% lower in Taif. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $577 in Taif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $183 in Taif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Taif pay roughly 50% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,255 in Taif, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Taif. 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 Taif, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Taif. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.