Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Yanbu

For one person, living is cheaper in Yanbu: $1,021 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Yanbu
Learn more

Yanbu Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Yanbu

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Yanbu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Yanbu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,021 in Yanbu.

Phuket $1,278
Yanbu $1,021

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,620 in Yanbu.

Phuket $2,216
Yanbu $1,620

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,220 in Yanbu.

Phuket $3,154
Yanbu $2,220

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than in Yanbu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Yanbu 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$5.99 SAR 22.48

-25.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$38.12 SAR 143

-14.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.67 SAR 25.02

32.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.90 SAR 14.65

-27.44%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.82 SAR 3.07

6.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.18 SAR 0.68

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.71 SAR 6.40

-2.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.94 SAR 3.52

55.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.20 SAR 8.26

-31.82%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.53 SAR 9.48

-17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$6.33 SAR 23.76

201.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$8.43 SAR 31.64

-60.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$13.00 SAR 48.78

-16.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.12 SAR 7.97

38.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.71 SAR 6.41

-1.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.46 SAR 5.46

54.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.62 SAR 6.06

28.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.17 SAR 4.39

29.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.04 SAR 3.91

32.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.10 SAR 4.13

-2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.54 SAR 2.03

-3.70%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SAR 8.26

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.48 SAR 24.32

-35.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$1.06 SAR 3.97

36.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$37.43 SAR 140

51.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.15 SAR 11.82

-4.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.78 SAR 2.94

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$13.66 SAR 51.3

-72.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.62 SAR 2.32

137.10%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$37.9K SAR 142.3K

-29.41%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$22.0K SAR 82.5K

21.40%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$91.4 SAR 343

5.37%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$22.38 SAR 84.0

-49.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$67.0 SAR 251

-74.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$95.6 SAR 359

-29.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$26.53 SAR 99.6

-59.56%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$11.78 SAR 44.21

-36.33%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$263 SAR 987

81.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$3,844 SAR 14.4K

193.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$74.3 SAR 279

-16.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$57.7 SAR 217

-50.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$99.2 SAR 372

-4.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$93.5 SAR 351

-8.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$315 SAR 1,181

127.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$211 SAR 790

133.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$610 SAR 2,288

216.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$414 SAR 1,552

245.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,702 SAR 6,386

145.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,237 SAR 4,644

146.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$3,411 SAR 12.8K

-85.27%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Yanbu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Yanbu

$210 20.6% 57.1% $280

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Yanbu

$197 19.3% 26.1% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Yanbu

$181 17.7% 45.3% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Yanbu

$146 14.3% 19.9% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Yanbu

$119 11.6% 2.4% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Yanbu

$119 11.7% 44.9% $37

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Yanbu

$49 4.8% 30.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $315 in Yanbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays about 6.8 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $38 in Yanbu. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $197, with Yanbu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇦 Yanbu

🕒 Local time

08:40 8:40 AM

04:40 4:40 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

233,236

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.19 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Yanbu 6,640 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Yanbu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 20% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 85% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $315 in Yanbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $263 in Yanbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Yanbu is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Yanbu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.