Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ras al-Khaimah and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,840 in Ras al-Khaimah, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

89

Cost of Living Index in Ras al-Khaimah
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Ras al-Khaimah Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Ras al-Khaimah

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$1,840

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ras al-Khaimah and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ras al-Khaimah and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,840 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Ras al-Khaimah $1,840
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,803 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Ras al-Khaimah $2,803
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,767 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Ras al-Khaimah $3,767
Phuket $2,867

Living in Ras al-Khaimah is roughly 52% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ras al-Khaimah is 36% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.76 AED 50.5

$4.58 ฿153

200.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.26 AED 148

$32.48 ฿1,086

23.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 AED 27.64

$8.55 ฿286

-11.93%

Cappuccino

$5.51 AED 20.22

$2.72 ฿91.0

102.57%

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

$1.11 AED 4.08

$0.94 ฿31.25

18.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 AED 1.76

$0.49 ฿16.39

-2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.16 AED 37.32

$2.59 ฿86.6

292.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.70 AED 35.63

$3.83 ฿128

153.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 AED 6.00

$1.74 ฿58.1

-6.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 AED 7.65

$1.43 ฿47.82

45.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 AED 7.20

$1.53 ฿51.0

28.10%

Eggs

$2.35 AED 8.62

$2.17 ฿72.7

8.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 AED 46.57

$19.15 ฿640

-33.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 AED 36.56

$3.30 ฿110

201.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.46 AED 56.8

$11.14 ฿372

38.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 AED 7.39

$2.95 ฿98.5

-31.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 AED 6.14

$1.68 ฿56.1

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 AED 5.69

$2.30 ฿76.8

-32.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 AED 4.98

$2.13 ฿71.3

-36.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 AED 3.54

$1.53 ฿51.1

-37.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 AED 3.20

$1.36 ฿45.55

-36.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 AED 6.39

$1.12 ฿37.44

55.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 AED 1.61

$0.55 ฿18.24

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.97 AED 25.61

$4.26 ฿142

63.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 AED 49.89

$18.19 ฿608

-25.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 AED 9.66

$1.74 ฿58.2

51.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 AED 10.56

$2.79 ฿93.3

3.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.12 AED 7.80

$2.22 ฿74.1

-4.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 AED 419

$22.06 ฿737

417.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 AED 6.21

$2.91 ฿97.3

-41.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 AED 2.93

$1.01 ฿33.79

-20.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.16 AED 29.96

$3.83 ฿128

113.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 AED 3.41

$1.49 ฿49.85

-37.58%

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

$45.8K AED 168.2K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

71.68%

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

$22.3K AED 82.0K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-16.39%

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

$121 AED 444

$99.4 ฿3,321

21.72%

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

$44.73 AED 164

$11.28 ฿377

296.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.4 AED 291

$17.36 ฿580

357.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 AED 213

$52.3 ฿1,747

10.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.22 AED 148

$10.85 ฿362

270.69%

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 AED 46.70

$7.57 ฿253

68.03%

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

$299 AED 1,099

$558 ฿18.7K

-46.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,462 AED 16.4K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-61.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 AED 296

$62.9 ฿2,102

28.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 AED 195

$28.58 ฿955

85.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 AED 438

$96.1 ฿3,213

24.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 AED 430

$88.1 ฿2,943

33.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 AED 2,819

$729 ฿24.4K

5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$657 AED 2,413

$460 ฿15.4K

42.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 AED 6,095

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-20.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 AED 4,563

$1,222 ฿40.8K

1.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,007 AED 18.4K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

44.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,962 AED 7,207

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-21.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,577 AED 5,791

$493 ฿16.5K

219.81%

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: October 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ras al-Khaimah

$657 35.7%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 30% $197

Groceries & Markets

Ras al-Khaimah

$285 15.5%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 6% $17

Eating Out

Ras al-Khaimah

$275 15%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 55.9% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ras al-Khaimah

$245 13.3%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 47.8% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Ras al-Khaimah

$167 9.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 25.5% $43

Getting Around

Ras al-Khaimah

$128 7%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 69.7% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Ras al-Khaimah

$83 4.5%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 19.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $767 in Ras al-Khaimah and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ras al-Khaimah pays 220% 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: $40.00 in Ras al-Khaimah vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Ras al-Khaimah

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:23 2:23 AM

05:23 5:23 AM

3 h ahead of Ras al-Khaimah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,000

79,308

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.242 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.13 AED (1 AED = 0.242 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ras al-Khaimah Phuket 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Ras al-Khaimah
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, eating out, and clothing. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 220% 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: $767 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Ras al-Khaimah versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Ras al-Khaimah. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,840 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 52% less than in Ras al-Khaimah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.