Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Qatif and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,080 in Qatif versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,638 in Qatif versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,196 in Qatif versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Qatif costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Qatif 21% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 SAR 13.38

$4.41 ฿147

-19.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.17 SAR 132

$32.26 ฿1,077

9.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 SAR 25.07

$8.93 ฿298

-25.31%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SAR 8.27

Cappuccino

$2.95 SAR 11.07

$2.90 ฿96.6

1.72%

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

$0.73 SAR 2.73

$0.88 ฿29.38

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 SAR 0.58

$0.48 ฿16.06

-68.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SAR 6.61

$1.87 ฿62.3

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 SAR 3.53

$1.47 ฿48.94

-36.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.31

$1.55 ฿51.8

25.81%

Eggs

$2.11 SAR 7.93

$2.10 ฿70.1

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.70 SAR 21.42

$19.59 ฿654

-70.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 SAR 29.31

$3.42 ฿114

128.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 SAR 48.76

$11.38 ฿380

14.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.20

$2.98 ฿99.6

-26.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.68 ฿56.2

2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$2.21 ฿73.7

-28.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$2.16 ฿72.1

-70.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$1.52 ฿50.9

-26.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 SAR 4.12

$1.34 ฿44.67

-17.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 SAR 3.41

$1.13 ฿37.67

-19.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SAR 1.89

$0.55 ฿18.24

-9.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.63 SAR 9.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 SAR 8.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 SAR 24.85

$4.26 ฿142

55.40%

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)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$2.23 ฿74.4

-53.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.12 SAR 136

$22.74 ฿759

58.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 SAR 8.86

$3.03 ฿101

-22.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 SAR 1.92

$1.02 ฿34.15

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.10 SAR 49.20

$3.89 ฿130

236.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.30

$1.49 ฿49.77

-59.06%

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

$35.8K SAR 134.6K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

34.82%

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

$20.8K SAR 78.2K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-22.97%

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

$103 SAR 388

$102 ฿3,420

0.76%

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

$33.42 SAR 126

$11.33 ฿378

194.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 SAR 219

$17.40 ฿581

235.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.7 SAR 311

$52.1 ฿1,738

58.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.55 SAR 141

$11.07 ฿370

239.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 SAR 49.60

$7.69 ฿257

71.78%

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

$270 SAR 1,015

$561 ฿18.7K

-51.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,795 SAR 29.3K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-32.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.48 SAR 118

$63.0 ฿2,104

-50.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.90 SAR 78.5

$29.52 ฿986

-29.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.6 SAR 355

$98.0 ฿3,272

-3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 SAR 340

$88.5 ฿2,954

2.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$574 SAR 2,157

$738 ฿24.6K

-22.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 SAR 1,298

$482 ฿16.1K

-28.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 SAR 3,281

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-58.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$547 SAR 2,055

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-55.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$951 SAR 3,573

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-73.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$783 SAR 2,942

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-69.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,249 SAR 8,448

$494 ฿16.5K

355.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

5.57

-1.26%

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

Last update for Qatif: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $574 in Qatif and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 356% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Qatif vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $184 vs $274, with Qatif 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

Qatif vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qatif is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 356% higher in Qatif, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $574 in Qatif versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $270 in Qatif versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,080 in Qatif versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qatif but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Qatif the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Qatif 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, Qatif and Phuket 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 Qatif gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.