Cost of Living Comparison Between Riffa and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Riffa and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,240 in Riffa versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,920 in Riffa versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,600 in Riffa versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Riffa is roughly 1% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Riffa 9% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.57 BHD 2.47

$4.41 ฿147

48.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.07 BHD 15.10

$32.26 ฿1,077

24.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.10 BHD 2.30

$8.93 ฿298

-31.69%

Cappuccino

$3.92 BHD 1.48

$2.90 ฿96.6

35.17%

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

$0.63 BHD 0.24

$0.88 ฿29.38

-28.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 BHD 0.10

$0.48 ฿16.06

-45.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.75 BHD 2.54

$2.35 ฿78.5

187.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 BHD 3.05

$3.72 ฿124

117.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 BHD 0.55

$1.87 ฿62.3

-21.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 BHD 0.26

$1.47 ฿48.94

-53.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 BHD 0.71

$1.55 ฿51.8

21.94%

Eggs

$2.26 BHD 0.85

$2.10 ฿70.1

7.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 BHD 2.98

$19.59 ฿654

-59.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 BHD 2.25

$3.42 ฿114

74.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.66 BHD 3.27

$11.38 ฿380

-23.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 BHD 0.88

$2.98 ฿99.6

-21.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 BHD 0.64

$1.68 ฿56.2

0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 BHD 0.70

$2.21 ฿73.7

-16.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 BHD 0.39

$2.16 ฿72.1

-52.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 BHD 0.38

$1.52 ฿50.9

-33.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 BHD 0.26

$1.34 ฿44.67

-49.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 BHD 0.19

$1.13 ฿37.67

-54.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 BHD 0.19

$0.55 ฿18.24

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 BHD 1.95

$4.26 ฿142

21.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 BHD 4.96

$19.09 ฿637

-31.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 BHD 0.69

$1.78 ฿59.4

2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 BHD 0.98

$2.78 ฿92.9

-6.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 BHD 0.31

$2.23 ฿74.4

-63.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.93 BHD 13.54

$22.74 ฿759

58.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 BHD 2.01

$3.03 ฿101

75.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.47 BHD 1.31

$1.02 ฿34.15

240.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.65 BHD 4.01

$3.89 ฿130

173.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.47 BHD 0.18

$1.49 ฿49.77

-68.46%

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

$22.4K BHD 8,451

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-15.65%

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

$20.8K BHD 7,857

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-22.87%

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

$131 BHD 49.33

$102 ฿3,420

27.73%

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

$24.04 BHD 9.06

$11.33 ฿378

112.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.17 BHD 13.25

$17.40 ฿581

102.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 BHD 27.48

$52.1 ฿1,738

39.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.08 BHD 4.93

$11.07 ฿370

18.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 BHD 3.95

$7.69 ฿257

36.28%

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

$481 BHD 181

$561 ฿18.7K

-14.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,745 BHD 2,165

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-50.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.48 BHD 11.11

$63.0 ฿2,104

-53.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.48 BHD 8.10

$29.52 ฿986

-27.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 BHD 25.02

$98.0 ฿3,272

-32.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.07 BHD 14.72

$88.5 ฿2,954

-55.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 BHD 343

$738 ฿24.6K

23.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 BHD 160

$482 ฿16.1K

-12.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 BHD 572

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-27.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 BHD 321

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-30.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,412 BHD 532

$494 ฿16.5K

186.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.5

5.57

-1.26%

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

Last update for Riffa: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $910 in Riffa and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riffa pays 186% 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 Riffa vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $274, with Riffa 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

Riffa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 186% higher in Riffa, 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: $910 in Riffa versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Riffa versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Riffa pay roughly 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,240 in Riffa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Riffa. 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 Riffa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Riffa 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 1% less than in Riffa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.