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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,150 in Unaizah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,739 in Unaizah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,327 in Unaizah.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than Unaizah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Unaizah 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$6.78 SAR 25.44

-32.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$40.62 SAR 152

14.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.14 SAR 26.79

18.63%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.01 SAR 15.04

-24.44%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.68 SAR 2.54

1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.26 SAR 0.97

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.47 SAR 5.50

48.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.31 SAR 1.18

512.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.35 SAR 8.81

-6.38%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.45 SAR 9.20

-9.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$5.89 SAR 22.11

239.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.73 SAR 17.76

-22.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$13.18 SAR 49.44

0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.26 SAR 8.50

42.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.64 SAR 6.16

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.72 SAR 6.46

38.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.55 SAR 5.82

34.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.24 SAR 4.67

28.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.65 SAR 9.93

-44.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.23 SAR 4.60

-16.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.70 SAR 2.63

-25.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.59 SAR 9.72

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SAR 6.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.95 SAR 26.10

-38.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.08 SAR 4.05

25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$39.73 SAR 149

-71.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.70 SAR 10.15

16.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.84 SAR 6.89

-43.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$13.57 SAR 50.9

1.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.64 SAR 2.40

109.38%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.6K SAR 100.0K

3.88%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$22.4K SAR 84.2K

50.92%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$106 SAR 397

16.91%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$33.99 SAR 128

-60.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$73.3 SAR 275

-74.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$53.0 SAR 199

16.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$36.24 SAR 136

-52.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$15.77 SAR 59.2

-42.04%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$353 SAR 1,324

99.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,938 SAR 26.0K

128.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$58.1 SAR 218

2.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$59.6 SAR 224

-41.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$79.8 SAR 299

44.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$80.3 SAR 301

4.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$431 SAR 1,618

43.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$381 SAR 1,429

13.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$864 SAR 3,241

138.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$629 SAR 2,361

140.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,079 SAR 7,800

75.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,529 SAR 5,736

71.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$2,517 SAR 9,443

-79.85%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Unaizah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $431 in Unaizah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Unaizah pays 396% 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 $41.00 in Unaizah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $176 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Unaizah earns 396% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $431 in Unaizah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $353 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 $1,150 in Unaizah versus $1,261 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.