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: $1,745 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,761 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,777 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Ras al-Khaimah is roughly 39% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ras al-Khaimah is 27% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.04 AED 44.22

$4.56 ฿150

164.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.52 AED 167

$32.62 ฿1,073

39.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 AED 27.45

$8.90 ฿293

-15.96%

Cappuccino

$5.51 AED 20.24

$2.80 ฿92.2

96.79%

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

$1.11 AED 4.07

$0.88 ฿28.94

26.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 AED 1.60

$0.49 ฿16.08

-10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.06 AED 36.94

$2.39 ฿78.5

320.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 AED 35.93

$3.71 ฿122

163.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 AED 6.29

$1.79 ฿58.8

-4.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 AED 7.56

$1.44 ฿47.40

43.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 AED 6.91

$1.58 ฿52.1

18.99%

Eggs

$2.42 AED 8.88

$2.13 ฿69.9

13.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.50 AED 45.90

$19.92 ฿655

-37.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 AED 35.56

$3.43 ฿113

182.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.75 AED 57.9

$11.33 ฿372

39.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 AED 7.30

$2.95 ฿97.0

-32.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 AED 5.85

$1.72 ฿56.6

-7.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 AED 5.51

$2.32 ฿76.5

-35.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.34 AED 4.93

$2.08 ฿68.4

-35.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 AED 3.56

$1.47 ฿48.34

-34.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 AED 3.38

$1.36 ฿44.65

-32.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 AED 6.44

$1.10 ฿36.13

59.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 AED 1.75

$0.57 ฿18.89

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 AED 24.87

$4.27 ฿140

58.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 AED 50.2

$18.42 ฿606

-25.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 AED 9.25

$1.87 ฿61.5

34.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 AED 10.49

$2.92 ฿96.1

-2.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 AED 7.82

$2.22 ฿73.0

-4.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 AED 411

$22.90 ฿753

389.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 AED 6.30

$3.03 ฿99.6

-43.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 AED 2.89

$1.07 ฿35.32

-26.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 AED 29.23

$3.93 ฿129

102.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 AED 3.26

$1.49 ฿49.06

-40.27%

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

$46.3K AED 169.9K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

70.54%

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

$21.8K AED 80.2K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-20.47%

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

$124 AED 456

$103 ฿3,380

20.88%

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

$45.14 AED 166

$10.99 ฿361

310.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 AED 292

$17.51 ฿576

354.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 AED 211

$53.5 ฿1,760

7.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.71 AED 150

$11.20 ฿368

263.48%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 AED 48.00

$7.48 ฿246

74.73%

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

$296 AED 1,086

$557 ฿18.3K

-46.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,411 AED 16.2K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-62.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 AED 303

$64.1 ฿2,107

28.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 AED 192

$29.07 ฿956

80.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 AED 466

$96.0 ฿3,155

32.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 AED 422

$90.3 ฿2,970

27.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 AED 2,768

$730 ฿24.0K

3.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 AED 2,135

$500 ฿16.4K

16.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,642 AED 6,029

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-21.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 AED 4,655

$1,209 ฿39.8K

4.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,911 AED 18.0K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

36.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 AED 7,157

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-22.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 AED 5,818

$503 ฿16.6K

214.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.92

5.57

-11.67%

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

Last update for Ras al-Khaimah: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $754 in Ras al-Khaimah and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ras al-Khaimah pays 215% 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: $46.00 in Ras al-Khaimah vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $273 per month, with Phuket 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 215% 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: $754 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $296 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Ras al-Khaimah. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,745 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 39% less than in Ras al-Khaimah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.