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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $994 in Yanbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,525 in Yanbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,056 in Yanbu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than in Yanbu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Yanbu 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$6.51 SAR 24.44

-31.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$37.99 SAR 143

20.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.51 SAR 24.46

34.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 SAR 7.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.59 SAR 13.49

-17.27%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.75 SAR 2.83

-8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.23 SAR 0.86

69.57%

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

$1.67 SAR 6.28

28.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.87 SAR 3.28

109.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.24 SAR 8.42

-2.68%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.72 SAR 10.20

-17.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.04 SAR 22.68

231.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.76 SAR 29.14

-53.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$12.21 SAR 45.86

11.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.07 SAR 7.77

56.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.64 SAR 6.17

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.38 SAR 5.19

68.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.54 SAR 5.80

34.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.28 SAR 4.79

21.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.96 SAR 3.59

52.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.09 SAR 4.11

-10.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.56 SAR 2.09

-14.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$6.47 SAR 24.30

-32.77%

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

$33.24 SAR 125

-65.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.28 SAR 12.31

-3.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.78 SAR 2.94

32.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$15.10 SAR 56.7

-8.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.62 SAR 2.31

116.13%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.2K SAR 98.3K

6.17%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$21.6K SAR 81.0K

54.70%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$105 SAR 396

16.67%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$22.77 SAR 85.5

-39.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$69.1 SAR 259

-73.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$95.9 SAR 360

-36.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$35.52 SAR 133

-51.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$13.30 SAR 49.95

-33.31%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$323 SAR 1,214

112.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,791 SAR 14.2K

316.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$22.81 SAR 85.6

159.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$21.00 SAR 78.9

65.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$66.3 SAR 249

73.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$47.66 SAR 179

75.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$314 SAR 1,177

98.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$244 SAR 915

82.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$585 SAR 2,198

247.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$412 SAR 1,546

263.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,487 SAR 13.1K

-85.84%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Yanbu: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $314 in Yanbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays 606% 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 $38.00 in Yanbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 606% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $314 in Yanbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $323 in Yanbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $994 in Yanbu versus $1,264 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.