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: $1,389 in Riffa versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Riffa versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,781 in Riffa versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Riffa is roughly 10% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riffa is 3% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 BHD 2.50

$4.56 ฿149

45.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.10 BHD 17.75

$46.63 ฿1,519

1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 BHD 2.23

$8.47 ฿276

-29.99%

Cappuccino

$1.95 BHD 0.73

$3.03 ฿98.6

-35.64%

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

$0.58 BHD 0.22

$0.69 ฿22.45

-15.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 BHD 0.11

$0.37 ฿11.92

-24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.03 BHD 3.03

$2.49 ฿81.0

222.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.71 BHD 4.04

$3.66 ฿119

192.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 BHD 0.51

$2.18 ฿71.0

-37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 BHD 0.50

$1.90 ฿62.0

-30.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 BHD 0.91

$2.20 ฿71.6

9.55%

Eggs

$2.15 BHD 0.81

$2.22 ฿72.4

-3.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 BHD 3.26

$19.99 ฿651

-56.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 BHD 2.53

$3.66 ฿119

83.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 BHD 3.81

$13.25 ฿432

-23.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 BHD 0.88

$3.23 ฿105

-27.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 BHD 0.69

$1.70 ฿55.3

7.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 BHD 0.64

$2.39 ฿78.0

-28.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 BHD 0.44

$2.08 ฿67.7

-44.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 BHD 0.35

$1.59 ฿51.8

-41.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 BHD 0.41

$1.48 ฿48.31

-27.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 BHD 0.57

$1.03 ฿33.54

47.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 BHD 0.21

$0.52 ฿16.83

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 BHD 2.55

$4.25 ฿138

59.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.03 BHD 4.91

$18.79 ฿612

-30.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 BHD 1.33

$1.76 ฿57.2

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 BHD 1.20

$2.76 ฿89.8

15.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 BHD 0.31

$1.36 ฿44.32

-39.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.28 BHD 12.16

$11.36 ฿370

184.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 BHD 1.80

$3.14 ฿102

52.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.95 BHD 1.49

$1.04 ฿33.74

279.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.39 BHD 9.95

$13.77 ฿448

91.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 BHD 0.13

$1.34 ฿43.79

-73.13%

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

$26.5K BHD 9,976

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-4.36%

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

$20.8K BHD 7,857

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-38.44%

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

$119 BHD 44.99

$124 ฿4,025

-3.41%

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

$26.56 BHD 10.01

$13.52 ฿440

96.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.27 BHD 14.42

$18.69 ฿609

104.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.8 BHD 30.07

$61.8 ฿2,013

29.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 BHD 3.05

$9.14 ฿298

-11.38%

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

$385 BHD 145

$703 ฿22.9K

-45.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,745 BHD 2,542

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-57.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.19 BHD 14.77

$59.5 ฿1,937

-34.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 BHD 23.49

$35.07 ฿1,142

77.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 BHD 24.55

$115 ฿3,754

-43.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.01 BHD 14.70

$84.1 ฿2,737

-53.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 BHD 439

$619 ฿20.1K

88.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 BHD 203

$433 ฿14.1K

24.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 BHD 810

$2,062 ฿67.2K

4.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$941 BHD 355

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-37.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,365 BHD 515

$507 ฿16.5K

169.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-6.19%

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

Last update for Riffa: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,164 in Riffa and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riffa pays 169% 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: $47.00 in Riffa vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $293 per month, with Riffa 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

Riffa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Riffa pays 169% more on average, 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: $1,164 in Riffa versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $385 in Riffa versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Riffa pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,389 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 10% less than in Riffa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.