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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,163 in Unaizah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,764 in Unaizah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,365 in Unaizah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than in Unaizah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Unaizah 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$6.68 SAR 25.10

-32.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$40.60 SAR 152

12.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.15 SAR 26.86

22.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.89

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$4.18 SAR 15.70

-28.95%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.74 SAR 2.77

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.28 SAR 1.06

39.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.54 SAR 5.80

39.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.29 SAR 1.07

527.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.30 SAR 8.63

-5.22%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.53 SAR 9.50

-11.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.09 SAR 22.87

228.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.70 SAR 17.66

-22.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$12.79 SAR 48.03

6.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.25 SAR 8.43

44.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.56 SAR 5.86

5.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.74 SAR 6.52

33.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.60 SAR 6.02

29.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.28 SAR 4.79

21.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.58 SAR 9.69

-43.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.23 SAR 4.62

-20.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.66 SAR 2.47

-27.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.60 SAR 9.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.64

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$6.83 SAR 25.66

-36.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.05 SAR 3.93

35.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$39.78 SAR 149

-70.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.71 SAR 10.18

16.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.84 SAR 6.92

-44.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$13.08 SAR 49.10

6.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.60 SAR 2.24

123.33%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.5K SAR 99.6K

4.80%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$21.9K SAR 82.3K

52.22%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$104 SAR 392

17.77%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$33.13 SAR 124

-58.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$72.5 SAR 272

-74.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$53.3 SAR 200

13.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$35.48 SAR 133

-51.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$15.56 SAR 58.4

-42.99%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$354 SAR 1,329

94.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,930 SAR 26.0K

127.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$59.9 SAR 225

-1.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$61.1 SAR 229

-43.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$80.7 SAR 303

42.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$82.3 SAR 309

1.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$448 SAR 1,681

38.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$380 SAR 1,426

17.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$840 SAR 3,156

141.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$622 SAR 2,337

140.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,481 SAR 9,315

39.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,517 SAR 5,696

66.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,500 SAR 9,389

-80.26%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Unaizah: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $448 in Unaizah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Unaizah pays 407% 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 Unaizah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 407% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $448 in Unaizah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $354 in Unaizah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,163 in Unaizah versus $1,264 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.