Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yanbu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yanbu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,038 in Yanbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,626 in Yanbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,214 in Yanbu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 19% more expensive than in Yanbu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Yanbu 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.51 SAR 24.47

-32.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$37.19 SAR 140

-13.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.85 SAR 25.73

30.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 SAR 6.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.57 SAR 13.40

-18.77%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.79 SAR 2.97

11.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.20 SAR 0.77

140.00%

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

$1.70 SAR 6.40

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.88 SAR 3.32

67.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.16 SAR 8.10

-28.24%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.39 SAR 8.97

-12.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.34 SAR 23.82

208.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$8.25 SAR 30.98

-58.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$13.30 SAR 49.97

-14.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.09 SAR 7.86

42.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.72 SAR 6.45

-2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.51 SAR 5.67

46.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.67 SAR 6.29

29.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.17 SAR 4.38

29.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.09 SAR 4.11

22.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.04 SAR 3.92

8.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.53 SAR 2.00

3.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.72 SAR 25.24

-36.61%

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

$1.04 SAR 3.92

114.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$26.14 SAR 98.2

-13.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.21 SAR 12.07

-5.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.78 SAR 2.93

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$13.61 SAR 51.1

-71.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.62 SAR 2.33

140.32%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$46.4K SAR 174.3K

-42.73%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$21.4K SAR 80.6K

26.02%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$102 SAR 384

0.28%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$22.45 SAR 84.3

-49.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$67.4 SAR 253

-74.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$95.1 SAR 357

-45.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$26.16 SAR 98.2

-57.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$11.96 SAR 44.91

-35.70%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$266 SAR 998

111.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$3,837 SAR 14.4K

199.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$67.1 SAR 252

-6.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$60.9 SAR 229

-51.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$97.9 SAR 368

0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$97.9 SAR 368

-9.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$313 SAR 1,176

135.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$210 SAR 790

129.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$595 SAR 2,234

254.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$425 SAR 1,597

188.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,470 SAR 13.0K

-85.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.39

3.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Yanbu: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $313 in Yanbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays 603% 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 $37.00 in Yanbu. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $196, with Yanbu 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 Yanbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yanbu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 603% lower in Yanbu. 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 $313 in Yanbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $266 in Yanbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,038 in Yanbu versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yanbu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yanbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yanbu 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 Yanbu 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 Yanbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.