Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,739 in Riyadh versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,521 in Riyadh versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,304 in Riyadh versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Riyadh is roughly 37% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 30% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.21 SAR 30.82

$4.70 ฿153

74.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 SAR 199

$45.37 ฿1,482

16.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 SAR 30.45

$8.43 ฿275

-3.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SAR 8.37

Cappuccino

$4.09 SAR 15.34

$2.93 ฿95.6

39.59%

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

$0.71 SAR 2.66

$0.69 ฿22.40

2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$0.37 ฿11.99

-21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.30

$2.23 ฿72.9

-24.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$1.83 ฿59.8

-30.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.83

$2.17 ฿70.8

8.29%

Eggs

$2.73 SAR 10.24

$2.21 ฿72.3

23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 SAR 32.44

$19.74 ฿645

-56.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 SAR 37.62

$3.63 ฿119

176.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 SAR 54.7

$13.53 ฿442

7.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 SAR 8.82

$3.28 ฿107

-28.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.61 ฿52.6

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 SAR 6.93

$2.41 ฿78.6

-23.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 SAR 5.73

$2.08 ฿68.1

-26.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.82

$1.53 ฿49.93

-15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.50

$1.48 ฿48.36

-0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 SAR 5.44

$0.99 ฿32.29

46.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 1.99

$0.51 ฿16.67

3.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.16 SAR 30.62

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SAR 8.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.54 SAR 28.29

$4.41 ฿144

70.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.37 ฿44.79

-20.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.73 SAR 138

$11.39 ฿372

222.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 SAR 12.29

$3.02 ฿98.6

8.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

$0.99 ฿32.48

86.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.49 SAR 50.6

$14.10 ฿461

-4.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.36

$1.36 ฿44.51

-53.68%

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

$34.1K SAR 128.1K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

20.97%

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

$23.4K SAR 87.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-28.82%

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

$104 SAR 391

$122 ฿3,975

-14.40%

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

$34.25 SAR 129

$13.57 ฿443

152.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 SAR 289

$18.31 ฿598

320.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$105 SAR 394

$60.2 ฿1,967

74.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.3 SAR 219

$17.14 ฿560

240.08%

Cinema Ticket

$16.17 SAR 60.7

$8.69 ฿284

86.08%

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

$457 SAR 1,716

$693 ฿22.6K

-34.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,739 SAR 36.6K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-37.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 SAR 223

$59.5 ฿1,944

-0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.1 SAR 241

$34.77 ฿1,136

84.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 SAR 400

$115 ฿3,743

-6.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 SAR 376

$83.3 ฿2,720

20.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 SAR 4,024

$613 ฿20.0K

74.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 SAR 3,158

$437 ฿14.3K

92.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 SAR 7,608

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-3.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 SAR 4,093

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-27.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 SAR 11.5K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-18.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,931 SAR 7,247

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-26.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,252 SAR 8,453

$508 ฿16.6K

343.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

5.33

-0.38%

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

Last update for Riyadh: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,072 in Riyadh and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 343% 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: $53.0 in Riyadh vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $293, with Riyadh 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

Riyadh vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Riyadh pays 343% 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: $1,072 in Riyadh versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $457 in Riyadh versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Riyadh pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,739 in Riyadh, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Riyadh. 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 Riyadh, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Riyadh 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 37% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.