Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,738 in Riyadh, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

83

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,738

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Riyadh 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 Riyadh and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,738 in Riyadh versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Riyadh $1,738
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,587 in Riyadh versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Riyadh $2,587
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,437 in Riyadh versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Riyadh $3,437
Phuket $3,154

Living in Riyadh is roughly 36% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 28% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 SAR 30.37

$4.47 ฿151

80.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.3 SAR 245

$32.41 ฿1,092

101.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 SAR 30.68

$8.81 ฿297

-7.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 SAR 8.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 SAR 11.16

Cappuccino

$4.30 SAR 16.13

$2.83 ฿95.3

51.94%

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

$0.85 SAR 3.18

$0.87 ฿29.37

-2.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 SAR 1.12

$0.49 ฿16.64

-38.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

$1.66 ฿55.9

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 SAR 4.93

$1.46 ฿49.25

-10.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 SAR 8.88

$1.50 ฿50.4

58.00%

Eggs

$3.04 SAR 11.41

$2.09 ฿70.4

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.77 SAR 40.40

$19.07 ฿642

-43.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 SAR 35.17

$3.30 ฿111

184.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 SAR 56.2

$10.91 ฿368

37.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 SAR 10.70

$2.93 ฿98.7

-2.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.69 ฿56.9

12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 SAR 9.25

$2.25 ฿75.7

9.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.43

$2.08 ฿70.0

-17.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.43

$1.51 ฿50.9

-21.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.82

$1.38 ฿46.47

-7.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 SAR 6.69

$1.07 ฿35.91

66.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.16

$0.52 ฿17.49

11.54%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.15 SAR 30.58

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SAR 9.28

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 SAR 29.45

$4.20 ฿142

86.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$1.45 ฿48.93

-28.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.07 SAR 143

$56.7 ฿1,909

-32.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 SAR 11.74

$3.02 ฿102

3.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.16

$1.02 ฿34.29

87.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.31 SAR 49.91

$3.69 ฿124

260.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.26

$1.47 ฿49.70

-59.18%

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

$26.2K SAR 98.2K

$26.8K ฿902.4K

-2.19%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

$26.7K ฿899.5K

-16.71%

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

$108 SAR 403

$96.4 ฿3,247

11.62%

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

$29.62 SAR 111

$11.26 ฿380

163.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 SAR 266

$16.85 ฿568

321.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.0 SAR 311

$67.2 ฿2,266

23.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.3 SAR 215

$10.73 ฿361

433.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.31 SAR 49.94

$7.50 ฿253

77.47%

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

$554 SAR 2,077

$476 ฿16.0K

16.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K SAR 37.8K

$11.3K ฿379.6K

-10.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 SAR 216

$62.4 ฿2,102

-7.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 SAR 204

$28.41 ฿957

91.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SAR 391

$94.3 ฿3,178

10.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 SAR 393

$85.8 ฿2,892

22.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 SAR 4,310

$716 ฿24.1K

60.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$833 SAR 3,127

$491 ฿16.5K

69.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,166 SAR 8,125

$1,927 ฿64.9K

12.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 SAR 4,786

$1,431 ฿48.2K

-10.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,779 SAR 10.4K

$4,175 ฿140.7K

-33.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,718 SAR 6,443

$3,045 ฿102.6K

-43.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,052 SAR 7,699

$502 ฿16.9K

308.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.57

-0.54%

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

Last update for Riyadh: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$833 48%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 41.1% $343

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$241 13.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 10.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$208 12%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 40.2% $84

Eating Out

Riyadh

$145 8.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 16.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$144 8.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 15.6% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$110 6.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 25% $27

Getting Around

Riyadh

$55 3.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 28.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,149 in Riyadh and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays about 4.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $65 in Riyadh vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $266, with Riyadh cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

11:20 11:20 AM

4 h ahead of Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.267 USD

1 SAR = 0.239 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.267 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Riyadh Phuket 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Riyadh
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

Riyadh vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Riyadh is about 4.1 times higher, 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: $1,149 in Riyadh versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $554 in Riyadh versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Riyadh pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,738 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Riyadh on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.