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: $1,148 in Rabigh versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,667 in Rabigh versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,186 in Rabigh versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Rabigh costs roughly 9% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rabigh 15% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 SAR 14.63

$4.56 ฿149

-14.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.09 SAR 79.1

$46.63 ฿1,519

-54.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 SAR 26.82

$8.47 ฿276

-15.58%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 SAR 4.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 SAR 2.87

Cappuccino

$2.42 SAR 9.06

$3.03 ฿98.6

-20.13%

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

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$0.69 ฿22.45

-7.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 SAR 0.42

$0.37 ฿11.92

-70.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$2.18 ฿71.0

-40.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$1.90 ฿62.0

-85.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 SAR 8.77

$2.20 ฿71.6

6.36%

Eggs

$2.22 SAR 8.32

$2.22 ฿72.4

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.48 SAR 20.56

$19.99 ฿651

-72.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 SAR 18.55

$3.66 ฿119

34.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 SAR 47.16

$13.25 ฿432

-5.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.17

$3.23 ฿105

-32.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.00

$1.70 ฿55.3

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$2.39 ฿78.0

-33.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$2.08 ฿67.7

-37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$1.59 ฿51.8

-16.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.70

$1.48 ฿48.31

-15.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$1.03 ฿33.54

5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 SAR 2.09

$0.52 ฿16.83

7.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.14 SAR 15.53

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.00

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SAR 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

$4.25 ฿138

-36.00%

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)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

$1.36 ฿44.32

-22.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.05 SAR 150

$11.36 ฿370

252.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 SAR 12.36

$3.14 ฿102

4.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.84

$1.04 ฿33.74

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.02 SAR 56.4

$13.77 ฿448

9.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.34 ฿43.79

-55.97%

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

$27.1K SAR 101.6K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-2.18%

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

$22.1K SAR 82.8K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-34.84%

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

$107 SAR 402

$124 ฿4,025

-13.33%

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

$32.50 SAR 122

$13.52 ฿440

140.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 SAR 259

$18.69 ฿609

268.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.0 SAR 326

$61.8 ฿2,013

40.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 SAR 133

$17.25 ฿562

105.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 SAR 50.8

$9.14 ฿298

48.14%

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

$401 SAR 1,504

$703 ฿22.9K

-42.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,411 SAR 24.1K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-59.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 SAR 239

$59.5 ฿1,937

6.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.4 SAR 219

$35.07 ฿1,142

66.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 SAR 351

$115 ฿3,754

-18.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 SAR 311

$84.1 ฿2,737

-1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 SAR 1,059

$619 ฿20.1K

-54.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,434

$433 ฿14.1K

-11.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 SAR 1,962

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-74.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 SAR 2,326

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-58.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 SAR 7,525

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-44.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 SAR 5,231

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-46.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Rabigh and $619 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 $293 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,722 in Rabigh and $1,892 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: $282 in Rabigh versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $401 in Rabigh 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 79% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,148 in Rabigh versus $1,261 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.