Cost of Living Comparison Between Sakakah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sakakah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,165 in Sakakah versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,656 in Sakakah versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,147 in Sakakah versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Sakakah costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sakakah 13% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.70 SAR 21.39

$4.70 ฿153

21.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.82 SAR 168

$45.37 ฿1,482

-1.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.88 SAR 29.56

$8.43 ฿275

-6.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 SAR 8.07

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.07

Cappuccino

$3.65 SAR 13.70

$2.93 ฿95.6

24.57%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.64

$0.69 ฿22.40

1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.18

$0.37 ฿11.99

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$2.23 ฿72.9

-26.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 SAR 3.69

$1.83 ฿59.8

-46.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 SAR 8.96

$2.17 ฿70.8

10.14%

Eggs

$2.50 SAR 9.39

$2.21 ฿72.3

13.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.78 SAR 25.43

$19.74 ฿645

-65.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 SAR 27.27

$3.63 ฿119

100.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 SAR 49.71

$13.53 ฿442

-2.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.11

$3.28 ฿107

-34.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.98

$1.61 ฿52.6

-1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

$2.41 ฿78.6

-28.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.02

$2.08 ฿68.1

-23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.78

$1.53 ฿49.93

-16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$1.48 ฿48.36

-13.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.47

$0.99 ฿32.29

20.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.21

$0.51 ฿16.67

15.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.97 SAR 11.16

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SAR 7.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 SAR 25.88

$4.41 ฿144

56.24%

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)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$1.37 ฿44.79

-19.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.76 SAR 149

$11.39 ฿372

249.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 SAR 9.79

$3.02 ฿98.6

-13.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 SAR 6.92

$0.99 ฿32.48

85.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.36 SAR 50.1

$14.10 ฿461

-5.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 SAR 2.19

$1.36 ฿44.51

-57.35%

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

$26.8K SAR 100.6K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-4.98%

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

$21.9K SAR 82.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-33.35%

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

$105 SAR 392

$122 ฿3,975

-14.13%

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

$33.71 SAR 127

$13.57 ฿443

148.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.8 SAR 273

$18.31 ฿598

297.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 SAR 226

$60.2 ฿1,967

-0.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.30 SAR 132

$17.14 ฿560

105.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 SAR 57.7

$8.69 ฿284

76.99%

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

$357 SAR 1,339

$693 ฿22.6K

-48.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,040 SAR 26.4K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-55.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 SAR 227

$59.5 ฿1,944

1.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 SAR 229

$34.77 ฿1,136

75.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 SAR 293

$115 ฿3,743

-31.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 SAR 303

$83.3 ฿2,720

-3.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$225 SAR 846

$613 ฿20.0K

-63.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 SAR 1,441

$437 ฿14.3K

-12.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 SAR 1,291

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-83.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 SAR 1,131

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-80.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,070 SAR 7,767

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-44.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,481 SAR 5,559

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-43.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$918 SAR 3,446

$508 ฿16.6K

80.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

5.33

-17.07%

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

Last update for Sakakah: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $225 in Sakakah and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sakakah pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Sakakah vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $293 per month, with Sakakah 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

Sakakah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sakakah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sakakah pays 81% 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: $225 in Sakakah versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $357 in Sakakah versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,165 in Sakakah versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sakakah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sakakah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sakakah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sakakah 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 Sakakah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.