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: $1,758 in Riyadh versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,475 in Riyadh versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,192 in Riyadh versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Riyadh is roughly 41% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 32% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.19 SAR 30.75

$4.55 ฿153

80.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 SAR 202

$46.18 ฿1,553

16.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 SAR 29.91

$8.84 ฿297

-9.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 SAR 6.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 SAR 8.68

Cappuccino

$3.98 SAR 14.93

$3.06 ฿103

30.07%

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

$0.77 SAR 2.88

$0.73 ฿24.40

5.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$0.40 ฿13.39

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$2.26 ฿76.0

-25.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 SAR 4.98

$1.81 ฿60.9

-26.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.85

$2.25 ฿75.8

4.89%

Eggs

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$2.25 ฿75.5

19.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 SAR 31.84

$19.51 ฿656

-56.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SAR 37.17

$3.65 ฿123

171.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 SAR 54.4

$13.05 ฿439

11.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.73

$3.23 ฿109

-28.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.62 ฿54.4

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

$2.38 ฿80.1

-21.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

$2.03 ฿68.1

-21.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.68

$1.53 ฿51.6

-18.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 SAR 5.49

$1.50 ฿50.5

-2.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 SAR 5.38

$0.98 ฿32.91

45.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 SAR 1.94

$0.52 ฿17.39

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.87 SAR 29.54

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 SAR 6.70

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SAR 9.06

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.41 SAR 27.83

$4.44 ฿149

66.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.07

$1.41 ฿47.46

-23.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.88 SAR 138

$11.70 ฿393

215.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 SAR 12.09

$3.11 ฿105

3.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SAR 6.93

$1.04 ฿35.06

76.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.19 SAR 49.53

$14.11 ฿474

-6.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.39

$1.31 ฿44.10

-51.15%

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

$35.1K SAR 131.7K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

26.13%

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

$23.4K SAR 88.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-29.42%

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

$106 SAR 398

$122 ฿4,118

-13.53%

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

$35.14 SAR 132

$13.59 ฿457

158.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 SAR 289

$18.70 ฿629

311.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$106 SAR 399

$60.5 ฿2,034

75.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.9 SAR 225

$16.98 ฿571

252.83%

Cinema Ticket

$16.22 SAR 60.9

$9.07 ฿305

78.83%

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

$465 SAR 1,747

$706 ฿23.8K

-34.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,542 SAR 35.8K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-39.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 SAR 219

$58.6 ฿1,969

-0.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 SAR 244

$35.36 ฿1,189

83.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 SAR 413

$115 ฿3,883

-4.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 SAR 378

$83.7 ฿2,816

20.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 SAR 4,166

$626 ฿21.0K

77.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$843 SAR 3,164

$445 ฿15.0K

89.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 SAR 7,607

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-0.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 SAR 4,233

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-24.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,911 SAR 10.9K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-16.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,938 SAR 7,279

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-24.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,020 SAR 7,587

$500 ฿16.8K

304.21%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,110 in Riyadh and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riyadh pays 304% 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: $54.0 in Riyadh vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $289, 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 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 304% higher in Riyadh, 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: $1,110 in Riyadh versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Riyadh versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Riyadh pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,758 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 41% less than in Riyadh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.