Cost of Living Comparison Between Ras al-Khaimah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ras al-Khaimah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,943 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,976 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,008 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Ras al-Khaimah is roughly 55% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ras al-Khaimah is 45% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.47 AED 49.46

$4.55 ฿153

196.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 AED 181

$46.18 ฿1,550

6.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 AED 25.56

$8.84 ฿297

-21.27%

Cappuccino

$5.55 AED 20.37

$3.06 ฿103

81.37%

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

$1.32 AED 4.83

$0.73 ฿24.36

80.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 AED 2.63

$0.40 ฿13.37

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.87 AED 39.92

$2.43 ฿81.6

347.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 AED 36.91

$3.78 ฿127

165.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 AED 5.75

$2.26 ฿75.8

-30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 AED 5.32

$1.81 ฿60.8

-19.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 AED 6.24

$2.25 ฿75.7

-24.44%

Eggs

$2.21 AED 8.11

$2.25 ฿75.4

-1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.84 AED 47.15

$19.51 ฿655

-34.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.59 AED 27.87

$3.65 ฿122

107.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 AED 56.1

$13.05 ฿438

17.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 AED 8.03

$3.23 ฿109

-32.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 AED 6.47

$1.62 ฿54.3

8.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 AED 5.54

$2.38 ฿80.0

-36.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 AED 4.80

$2.03 ฿68.0

-35.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 AED 3.55

$1.53 ฿51.5

-36.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 AED 3.80

$1.50 ฿50.4

-31.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 AED 6.60

$0.98 ฿32.85

83.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 AED 1.86

$0.52 ฿17.36

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 AED 23.10

$4.44 ฿149

41.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.51 AED 49.60

$18.32 ฿615

-26.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 AED 9.67

$1.86 ฿62.6

41.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 AED 10.87

$2.68 ฿90.0

10.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 AED 8.68

$1.41 ฿47.37

67.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 AED 236

$11.70 ฿393

449.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 AED 5.65

$3.11 ฿104

-50.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 AED 3.41

$1.04 ฿35.00

-10.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.41 AED 30.90

$14.11 ฿474

-40.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 AED 2.93

$1.31 ฿44.02

-38.93%

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

$46.3K AED 169.9K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

66.30%

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

$22.4K AED 82.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-32.52%

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

$149 AED 549

$122 ฿4,110

22.02%

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

$45.04 AED 165

$13.59 ฿456

231.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 AED 371

$18.70 ฿628

440.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 AED 207

$60.5 ฿2,031

-6.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.13 AED 151

$16.98 ฿570

142.23%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 AED 49.35

$9.07 ฿305

48.18%

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

$248 AED 912

$706 ฿23.7K

-64.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,208 AED 19.1K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-67.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 AED 430

$58.6 ฿1,965

100.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 AED 197

$35.36 ฿1,187

51.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 AED 502

$115 ฿3,876

18.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 AED 498

$83.7 ฿2,811

62.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$718 AED 2,637

$626 ฿21.0K

14.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$783 AED 2,874

$445 ฿14.9K

75.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 AED 7,322

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-2.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 AED 5,554

$1,492 ฿50.1K

1.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,828 AED 17.7K

$3,483 ฿116.9K

38.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,965 AED 7,217

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-23.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,571 AED 5,770

$500 ฿16.8K

214.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.88

5.33

-8.44%

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

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $718 in Ras al-Khaimah and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ras al-Khaimah pays 214% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Ras al-Khaimah vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $289, with Ras al-Khaimah 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

Ras al-Khaimah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 214% higher in Ras al-Khaimah, 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: $718 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $248 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ras al-Khaimah pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,943 in Ras al-Khaimah, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ras al-Khaimah. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ras al-Khaimah, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ras al-Khaimah 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Ras al-Khaimah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.