Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabigh and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rabigh and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,163 in Rabigh versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,703 in Rabigh versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,243 in Rabigh versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Rabigh costs roughly 6% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rabigh 13% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.10 SAR 15.36

$4.63 ฿151

-11.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.94 SAR 78.5

$46.84 ฿1,523

-55.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 SAR 26.84

$8.84 ฿287

-19.00%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 SAR 3.10

Cappuccino

$2.47 SAR 9.26

$3.00 ฿97.4

-17.67%

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

$0.69 SAR 2.57

$0.74 ฿24.11

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 SAR 0.46

$0.37 ฿11.88

-67.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 SAR 5.13

$2.26 ฿73.5

-39.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$1.84 ฿59.8

-84.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 SAR 8.65

$2.24 ฿73.0

3.12%

Eggs

$2.21 SAR 8.29

$2.32 ฿75.3

-4.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.49 SAR 20.57

$19.67 ฿639

-72.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.83 SAR 18.11

$3.65 ฿119

32.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.63 SAR 47.36

$13.10 ฿426

-3.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

$3.39 ฿110

-36.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

$1.64 ฿53.4

-3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$2.41 ฿78.5

-32.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$2.03 ฿66.0

-35.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.96

$1.56 ฿50.6

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.65

$1.50 ฿48.66

-17.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.96

$1.02 ฿33.30

3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 SAR 2.23

$0.49 ฿15.91

22.45%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.08 SAR 15.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 SAR 7.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 SAR 9.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 SAR 9.75

$4.45 ฿145

-41.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.11

$1.40 ฿45.54

-21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.46 SAR 148

$11.48 ฿373

243.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 SAR 11.96

$3.12 ฿101

2.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.12

$1.00 ฿32.48

90.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.28 SAR 57.3

$14.09 ฿458

8.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$1.35 ฿43.93

-53.33%

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

$26.4K SAR 99.1K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-2.78%

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

$21.7K SAR 81.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-34.13%

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

$104 SAR 392

$125 ฿4,063

-16.46%

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

$31.74 SAR 119

$13.57 ฿441

133.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 SAR 260

$18.52 ฿602

274.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.3 SAR 335

$61.5 ฿1,999

45.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.21 SAR 132

$16.84 ฿547

109.09%

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 SAR 49.72

$9.19 ฿299

44.29%

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

$408 SAR 1,531

$698 ฿22.7K

-41.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,568 SAR 24.6K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-57.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 SAR 240

$57.8 ฿1,878

10.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 SAR 216

$35.24 ฿1,146

63.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 SAR 357

$113 ฿3,677

-15.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 SAR 309

$86.4 ฿2,808

-4.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 SAR 1,041

$616 ฿20.0K

-54.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 SAR 1,437

$446 ฿14.5K

-14.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 SAR 1,990

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-74.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 SAR 2,347

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-58.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,387 SAR 8,952

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-36.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,325 SAR 4,969

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-49.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

5.33

-15.57%

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

Last update for Rabigh: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Rabigh and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Rabigh vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $292 per month, with Rabigh 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

Rabigh vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rabigh is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,745 in Rabigh and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $278 in Rabigh versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $408 in Rabigh versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,163 in Rabigh versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rabigh but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rabigh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rabigh 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, Rabigh 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 Rabigh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.