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 $986 in Yanbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,533 in Yanbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,081 in Yanbu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than Yanbu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Yanbu 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.73 SAR 25.25

-31.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$37.95 SAR 142

23.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.59 SAR 24.70

34.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 SAR 7.45

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.10

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$3.68 SAR 13.78

-18.48%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.76 SAR 2.84

-2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.23 SAR 0.86

60.87%

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

$1.72 SAR 6.45

31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.92 SAR 3.44

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.24 SAR 8.42

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.71 SAR 10.16

-14.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.87 SAR 22.03

235.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.63 SAR 28.62

-52.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.93 SAR 44.75

9.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.17 SAR 8.13

56.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.65 SAR 6.18

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.45 SAR 5.42

66.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.53 SAR 5.72

32.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.26 SAR 4.71

23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.01 SAR 3.78

48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.06 SAR 3.99

-3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.51 SAR 1.92

-3.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.11

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.26 SAR 23.48

-28.91%

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

$1.05 SAR 3.95

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$32.80 SAR 123

-65.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.15 SAR 11.82

-0.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.84 SAR 3.14

19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$15.32 SAR 57.4

-8.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.62 SAR 2.32

117.74%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$25.6K SAR 96.1K

6.07%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.5K SAR 80.6K

53.17%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$108 SAR 403

16.20%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$22.12 SAR 82.9

-38.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$70.5 SAR 264

-73.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$96.9 SAR 364

-36.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$35.37 SAR 133

-52.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$13.13 SAR 49.25

-30.01%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$322 SAR 1,209

116.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,842 SAR 14.4K

305.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$22.59 SAR 84.7

155.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$21.69 SAR 81.4

62.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$66.6 SAR 250

69.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$47.14 SAR 177

83.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$307 SAR 1,153

100.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$242 SAR 907

84.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$607 SAR 2,277

237.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$405 SAR 1,517

268.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$3,459 SAR 13.0K

-84.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.3

61.52%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Yanbu: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $307 in Yanbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays 560% 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 $38.00 in Yanbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $188 per month, with Yanbu 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 Yanbu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yanbu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Yanbu earns 560% 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 $307 in Yanbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $322 in Yanbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $986 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.