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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,000 in Yanbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,512 in Yanbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,023 in Yanbu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than Yanbu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Yanbu 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$6.59 SAR 24.73

-30.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$37.96 SAR 142

22.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.49 SAR 24.34

30.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 SAR 7.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.95

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.74 SAR 14.05

-18.98%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.70 SAR 2.62

-1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.23 SAR 0.86

60.87%

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

$1.72 SAR 6.44

26.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.87 SAR 3.28

118.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.20 SAR 8.24

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.64 SAR 9.90

-15.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$5.85 SAR 21.96

241.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.92 SAR 29.72

-53.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$12.20 SAR 45.78

8.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.16 SAR 8.11

49.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.56 SAR 5.87

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.46 SAR 5.46

63.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.54 SAR 5.80

35.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.26 SAR 4.71

26.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.97 SAR 3.62

52.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.10 SAR 4.12

-6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.55 SAR 2.08

-5.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 SAR 4.94

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.24 SAR 23.41

-31.89%

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

$33.86 SAR 127

-66.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.26 SAR 12.23

-3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.78 SAR 2.92

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$15.35 SAR 57.6

-10.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.57 SAR 2.14

135.09%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$25.9K SAR 97.2K

6.84%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$21.9K SAR 82.0K

54.92%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$106 SAR 398

16.57%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$22.79 SAR 85.5

-40.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$68.7 SAR 258

-72.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$97.5 SAR 366

-36.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$35.04 SAR 132

-50.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$13.12 SAR 49.23

-30.34%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$315 SAR 1,181

123.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,765 SAR 14.1K

321.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$23.07 SAR 86.6

157.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$20.91 SAR 78.5

67.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$66.3 SAR 249

73.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$48.58 SAR 182

73.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$316 SAR 1,185

95.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$244 SAR 914

77.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$606 SAR 2,274

240.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$410 SAR 1,539

268.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$3,532 SAR 13.3K

-85.65%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Yanbu: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $316 in Yanbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays 597% 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 $293 vs $189 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 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Yanbu earns 597% 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 $316 in Yanbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $315 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 $1,000 in Yanbu versus $1,261 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 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.