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: $1,059 in Qatif versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,673 in Qatif versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,288 in Qatif versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Qatif costs roughly 16% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Qatif 21% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 SAR 12.81

$4.56 ฿149

-25.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.01 SAR 176

$46.63 ฿1,519

0.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 SAR 29.55

$8.47 ฿276

-7.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 SAR 6.96

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SAR 7.11

Cappuccino

$3.55 SAR 13.31

$3.03 ฿98.6

17.16%

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

$0.82 SAR 3.07

$0.69 ฿22.45

18.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$0.37 ฿11.92

-29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SAR 6.47

$2.18 ฿71.0

-20.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 SAR 3.02

$1.90 ฿62.0

-57.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 SAR 7.53

$2.20 ฿71.6

-8.64%

Eggs

$2.33 SAR 8.73

$2.22 ฿72.4

4.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.30 SAR 23.62

$19.99 ฿651

-68.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 SAR 26.82

$3.66 ฿119

95.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.02 SAR 37.61

$13.25 ฿432

-24.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.83

$3.23 ฿105

-35.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.51

$1.70 ฿55.3

-13.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 SAR 5.27

$2.39 ฿78.0

-41.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 SAR 2.64

$2.08 ฿67.7

-66.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$1.59 ฿51.8

-19.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.16

$1.48 ฿48.31

-6.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 SAR 4.30

$1.03 ฿33.54

11.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.90

$0.52 ฿16.83

-1.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.65 SAR 9.93

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SAR 5.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SAR 7.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SAR 29.33

$4.25 ฿138

84.00%

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)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$1.36 ฿44.32

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.34 SAR 148

$11.36 ฿370

246.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 SAR 12.24

$3.14 ฿102

3.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 SAR 6.06

$1.04 ฿33.74

54.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.20 SAR 49.52

$13.77 ฿448

-4.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$1.34 ฿43.79

-55.22%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.5K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-19.61%

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

$19.8K SAR 74.2K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-41.64%

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

$105 SAR 396

$124 ฿4,025

-14.70%

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

$36.22 SAR 136

$13.52 ฿440

167.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 SAR 229

$18.69 ฿609

226.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.3 SAR 358

$61.8 ฿2,013

54.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.3 SAR 215

$17.25 ฿562

231.88%

Cinema Ticket

$15.49 SAR 58.1

$9.14 ฿298

69.47%

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

$393 SAR 1,476

$703 ฿22.9K

-44.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,396 SAR 31.5K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-47.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 SAR 198

$59.5 ฿1,937

-11.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 SAR 192

$35.07 ฿1,142

45.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 SAR 343

$115 ฿3,754

-20.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 SAR 323

$84.1 ฿2,737

2.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 SAR 1,355

$619 ฿20.1K

-41.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 SAR 1,088

$433 ฿14.1K

-32.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 SAR 2,606

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-66.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$483 SAR 1,811

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-68.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$963 SAR 3,612

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-73.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$780 SAR 2,927

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-70.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,308 SAR 8,661

$507 ฿16.5K

355.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

5.33

-18.76%

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

Last update for Qatif: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $361 in Qatif and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qatif pays 355% 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 Qatif vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $293 per month, with Qatif 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

Qatif vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qatif is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Qatif pays 355% more on average, 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: $361 in Qatif versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $393 in Qatif versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,059 in Qatif versus $1,261 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 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.