Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Unaizah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Unaizah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,146 in Unaizah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,774 in Unaizah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,402 in Unaizah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than Unaizah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Unaizah 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.47 SAR 24.26

-28.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$40.06 SAR 150

16.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.04 SAR 26.39

25.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.90

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 SAR 4.86

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.07 SAR 15.26

-26.29%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.72 SAR 2.72

2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.28 SAR 1.06

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.50 SAR 5.61

50.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.29 SAR 1.08

534.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.26 SAR 8.49

-0.88%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.42 SAR 9.06

-4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.05 SAR 22.69

225.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.62 SAR 17.32

-21.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.08 SAR 49.06

0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.27 SAR 8.52

49.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.62 SAR 6.07

1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.72 SAR 6.45

40.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.55 SAR 5.82

30.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.29 SAR 4.84

20.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.65 SAR 9.93

-43.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.19 SAR 4.47

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.68 SAR 2.55

-27.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.09 SAR 11.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.84 SAR 25.64

-34.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.08 SAR 4.05

29.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$40.65 SAR 152

-71.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.60 SAR 9.75

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.88 SAR 7.07

-46.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$13.53 SAR 50.7

4.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.61 SAR 2.28

121.31%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.2K SAR 98.3K

3.67%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.9K SAR 82.2K

50.24%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$104 SAR 391

19.84%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$33.59 SAR 126

-59.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$71.8 SAR 269

-74.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$53.9 SAR 202

14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$35.68 SAR 134

-52.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$15.43 SAR 57.9

-40.44%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$358 SAR 1,341

95.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,080 SAR 26.6K

120.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$60.1 SAR 225

-3.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$60.8 SAR 228

-42.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$78.6 SAR 295

43.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$80.4 SAR 302

7.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$448 SAR 1,679

37.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$374 SAR 1,404

19.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$847 SAR 3,175

141.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$630 SAR 2,364

136.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,243 SAR 8,410

68.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,249 SAR 4,683

112.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$2,542 SAR 9,532

-79.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.42

20.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Unaizah: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $448 in Unaizah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Unaizah pays 385% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Unaizah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $175 per month, with Unaizah 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 Unaizah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Unaizah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Unaizah earns 385% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $448 in Unaizah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $358 in Unaizah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,146 in Unaizah versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Unaizah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Unaizah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Unaizah 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 Unaizah 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 Unaizah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.