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: $1,734 in Riyadh versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Riyadh versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Riyadh versus $2,913 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Riyadh is 26% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.79 SAR 29.24

$4.66 ฿154

67.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 SAR 243

$32.22 ฿1,065

100.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 SAR 33.31

$8.68 ฿287

2.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 SAR 7.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 SAR 11.14

Cappuccino

$4.23 SAR 15.87

$2.90 ฿95.8

45.86%

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

$0.85 SAR 3.19

$0.84 ฿27.89

1.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.22

$0.49 ฿16.16

-34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

$1.89 ฿62.3

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 SAR 4.70

$1.41 ฿46.54

-11.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 SAR 9.21

$1.62 ฿53.6

51.23%

Eggs

$3.19 SAR 11.98

$2.24 ฿74.1

42.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 SAR 36.38

$19.84 ฿656

-51.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 SAR 37.36

$3.48 ฿115

185.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 SAR 57.0

$11.37 ฿376

33.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 SAR 9.84

$2.90 ฿95.8

-9.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.31

$1.72 ฿57.0

13.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 SAR 8.87

$2.27 ฿75.1

3.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.51

$2.13 ฿70.4

-18.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 SAR 4.50

$1.47 ฿48.72

-18.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 SAR 5.37

$1.42 ฿46.92

0.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SAR 6.43

$1.10 ฿36.25

55.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.21

$0.60 ฿19.76

-1.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.75 SAR 29.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SAR 9.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.51 SAR 28.19

$4.31 ฿142

74.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$2.25 ฿74.2

-51.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.56 SAR 141

$23.49 ฿776

59.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 SAR 12.33

$3.10 ฿102

5.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

$1.08 ฿35.56

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.13 SAR 49.32

$3.87 ฿128

239.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.43 ฿47.16

-58.74%

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

$35.9K SAR 134.7K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

29.13%

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

$22.4K SAR 84.1K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-17.02%

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

$97.0 SAR 364

$105 ฿3,462

-7.45%

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

$32.37 SAR 122

$11.39 ฿376

184.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.6 SAR 258

$17.54 ฿580

291.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.7 SAR 337

$54.3 ฿1,795

64.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.9 SAR 206

$11.44 ฿378

380.24%

Cinema Ticket

$13.29 SAR 49.89

$7.78 ฿257

70.82%

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

$533 SAR 2,000

$576 ฿19.0K

-7.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K SAR 42.6K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-2.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 SAR 221

$63.6 ฿2,103

-7.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 SAR 211

$29.10 ฿961

92.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 SAR 398

$96.2 ฿3,179

10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 SAR 392

$90.0 ฿2,974

16.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 SAR 4,408

$733 ฿24.2K

60.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 SAR 3,117

$501 ฿16.5K

65.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 SAR 8,280

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 SAR 4,595

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-2.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,935 SAR 11.0K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-16.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,962 SAR 7,367

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-25.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,052 SAR 7,705

$508 ฿16.8K

304.22%

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: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,174 in Riyadh and $733 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: $65.0 in Riyadh vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $240 vs $275, 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.

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: $1,174 in Riyadh versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $533 in Riyadh versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Riyadh pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,734 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.