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: $1,090 in Rabigh versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,731 in Rabigh versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,372 in Rabigh versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Rabigh costs roughly 14% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rabigh 21% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.63 SAR 24.91

$4.66 ฿154

42.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 SAR 203

$32.22 ฿1,065

67.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 SAR 31.87

$8.68 ฿287

-2.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 SAR 9.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 SAR 9.72

Cappuccino

$3.70 SAR 13.91

$2.90 ฿95.8

27.59%

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

$1.04 SAR 3.89

$0.84 ฿27.89

23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$0.49 ฿16.16

-51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.89 ฿62.3

-7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 SAR 4.80

$1.41 ฿46.54

-9.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$1.62 ฿53.6

37.65%

Eggs

$2.40 SAR 9.01

$2.24 ฿74.1

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 SAR 23.56

$19.84 ฿656

-68.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 SAR 30.15

$3.48 ฿115

130.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 SAR 49.40

$11.37 ฿376

15.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 SAR 7.63

$2.90 ฿95.8

-30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

$1.72 ฿57.0

-1.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.90

$2.27 ฿75.1

-30.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

$2.13 ฿70.4

-23.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$1.47 ฿48.72

-23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

$1.42 ฿46.92

-5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 SAR 4.02

$1.10 ฿36.25

-2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SAR 1.89

$0.60 ฿19.76

-16.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.21 SAR 15.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 SAR 9.78

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.52 SAR 24.48

$4.31 ฿142

51.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 SAR 3.77

$2.25 ฿74.2

-55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.97 SAR 116

$23.49 ฿776

31.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 SAR 11.86

$3.10 ฿102

1.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$1.08 ฿35.56

56.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.67 SAR 51.4

$3.87 ฿128

253.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$1.43 ฿47.16

-55.24%

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

$48.0K SAR 180.2K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

72.67%

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

$21.8K SAR 81.8K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-19.25%

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

$100 SAR 376

$105 ฿3,462

-4.50%

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

$38.76 SAR 146

$11.39 ฿376

240.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.2 SAR 252

$17.54 ฿580

283.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.9 SAR 300

$54.3 ฿1,795

46.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.10 SAR 121

$11.44 ฿378

180.59%

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 SAR 45.50

$7.78 ฿257

55.78%

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

$730 SAR 2,740

$576 ฿19.0K

26.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K SAR 60.7K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

39.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 SAR 259

$63.6 ฿2,103

8.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 SAR 222

$29.10 ฿961

103.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 SAR 364

$96.2 ฿3,179

0.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.1 SAR 368

$90.0 ฿2,974

8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 SAR 1,227

$733 ฿24.2K

-55.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$240 SAR 902

$501 ฿16.5K

-52.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 SAR 2,287

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-71.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 SAR 1,592

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-66.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,584 SAR 9,704

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-26.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,180 SAR 4,430

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-55.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.57

-3.23%

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

Last update for Rabigh: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $327 in Rabigh and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Rabigh vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $275, with Rabigh 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

Rabigh vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rabigh is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,635 in Rabigh and $1,898 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: $327 in Rabigh versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $730 in Rabigh versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,090 in Rabigh versus $1,265 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.