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 $1,101 in Unaizah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,694 in Unaizah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,286 in Unaizah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than in Unaizah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Unaizah 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.62 SAR 24.85

-33.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$39.80 SAR 149

-18.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.98 SAR 26.23

27.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.65 SAR 6.19

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 SAR 5.13

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.99 SAR 14.99

-27.32%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.74 SAR 2.77

18.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.28 SAR 1.06

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.47 SAR 5.54

27.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.31 SAR 1.17

374.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.14 SAR 8.03

-27.57%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.40 SAR 9.02

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$5.92 SAR 22.23

230.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.60 SAR 17.26

-25.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$12.73 SAR 47.81

-10.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.15 SAR 8.08

38.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.58 SAR 5.95

6.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.54 SAR 5.80

43.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.68 SAR 6.33

28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.18 SAR 4.44

28.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.62 SAR 9.85

-48.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.14 SAR 4.27

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.64 SAR 2.42

-14.06%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.84 SAR 10.66

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SAR 8.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.56 SAR 24.63

-35.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.06 SAR 3.98

110.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$36.06 SAR 135

-36.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.86 SAR 10.72

5.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.81 SAR 6.80

-43.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$13.51 SAR 50.7

-71.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.64 SAR 2.42

132.81%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$46.3K SAR 174.1K

-42.64%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$21.5K SAR 80.9K

25.51%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$99.6 SAR 374

2.88%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$31.98 SAR 120

-64.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$68.1 SAR 256

-74.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$53.8 SAR 202

-3.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$36.87 SAR 139

-69.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$13.10 SAR 49.22

-41.30%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$347 SAR 1,303

61.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$6,702 SAR 25.2K

71.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$50.7 SAR 190

24.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$59.1 SAR 222

-50.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$96.8 SAR 364

1.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$89.2 SAR 335

-0.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$576 SAR 2,163

28.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$339 SAR 1,275

42.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$893 SAR 3,353

135.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$556 SAR 2,087

120.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,401 SAR 9,020

50.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,380 SAR 5,182

88.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,517 SAR 9,453

-80.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.47

1.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Unaizah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $576 in Unaizah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Unaizah pays 410% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Unaizah. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $171, with Unaizah cheaper for home cooking.

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. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 410% lower in Unaizah. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $576 in Unaizah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $347 in Unaizah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,101 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 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.