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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $916 in Taif.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,470 in Taif.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,023 in Taif.

Living in Phuket is roughly 36% more expensive than in Taif, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.30 SAR 19.91

-14.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$40.54 SAR 152

13.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.80 SAR 25.53

30.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 SAR 7.35

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.95

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.94 SAR 11.04

4.08%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.77 SAR 2.91

-5.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.28 SAR 1.06

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.36 SAR 5.10

66.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.28 SAR 1.05

546.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.29 SAR 8.59

-1.75%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.58 SAR 9.70

-12.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.26 SAR 27.28

168.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.23 SAR 23.38

-41.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.61 SAR 39.86

23.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.28 SAR 8.57

41.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.62 SAR 6.09

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.98 SAR 7.45

20.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.83 SAR 6.88

10.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.44 SAR 5.40

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.62 SAR 6.07

-7.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.93 SAR 3.48

5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.03 SAR 3.87

-49.51%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.87 SAR 10.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 SAR 7.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.73 SAR 25.26

-34.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.09 SAR 4.08

29.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$39.58 SAR 149

-70.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.62 SAR 9.85

18.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.02 SAR 7.58

-48.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$13.06 SAR 49.03

8.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.63 SAR 2.37

107.94%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$20.0K SAR 75.0K

39.18%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.6K SAR 77.2K

61.53%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$75.3 SAR 283

62.69%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$28.59 SAR 107

-52.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$85.9 SAR 323

-78.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$76.7 SAR 288

-21.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$37.83 SAR 142

-55.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$17.16 SAR 64.4

-47.14%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$263 SAR 986

169.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,622 SAR 21.1K

181.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$39.70 SAR 149

47.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$41.96 SAR 158

-15.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$77.7 SAR 292

48.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$47.39 SAR 178

76.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$215 SAR 808

190.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$172 SAR 644

159.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$437 SAR 1,642

366.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$347 SAR 1,301

330.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,332 SAR 8,755

49.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,352 SAR 5,076

90.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,814 SAR 6,811

-72.44%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Taif: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $215 in Taif. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taif pays 263% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $41.00 in Taif for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $182 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 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 263% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $215 in Taif. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $263 in Taif. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $916 in Taif versus $1,250 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 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.