Cost of Living Comparison Between Shaab and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Shaab and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,378 in Shaab versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,321 in Shaab versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,263 in Shaab versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Shaab is roughly 9% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shaab is 3% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.09 KWD 3.09

$4.70 ฿153

114.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 KWD 24.97

$45.37 ฿1,482

79.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 KWD 2.69

$8.43 ฿275

3.91%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 KWD 0.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 KWD 1.10

Cappuccino

$5.86 KWD 1.80

$2.93 ฿95.6

100.00%

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

$0.68 KWD 0.21

$0.69 ฿22.40

-1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 KWD 0.12

$0.37 ฿11.99

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 KWD 0.49

$2.23 ฿72.9

-27.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 KWD 0.38

$1.83 ฿59.8

-32.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 KWD 0.53

$2.17 ฿70.8

-20.28%

Eggs

$2.09 KWD 0.64

$2.21 ฿72.3

-5.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.17 KWD 1.58

$19.74 ฿645

-73.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 KWD 2.02

$3.63 ฿119

81.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 KWD 3.14

$13.53 ฿442

-24.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 KWD 0.76

$3.28 ฿107

-25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 KWD 0.58

$1.61 ฿52.6

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KWD 0.55

$2.41 ฿78.6

-25.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 KWD 0.46

$2.08 ฿68.1

-27.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 KWD 0.38

$1.53 ฿49.93

-18.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 KWD 0.39

$1.48 ฿48.36

-14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 KWD 0.49

$0.99 ฿32.29

62.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KWD 0.14

$0.51 ฿16.67

-11.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.29 KWD 1.01

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 KWD 0.92

$4.41 ฿144

-32.20%

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)

$0.90 KWD 0.27

$1.37 ฿44.79

-34.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.00 KWD 13.80

$11.39 ฿372

295.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 KWD 1.01

$3.02 ฿98.6

9.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 KWD 1.00

$0.99 ฿32.48

229.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.30 KWD 5.00

$14.10 ฿461

15.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$1.36 ฿44.51

-73.53%

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

$21.3K KWD 6,525

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-24.57%

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

$19.9K KWD 6,114

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-39.41%

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

$62.6 KWD 19.20

$122 ฿3,975

-48.56%

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

$18.95 KWD 5.81

$13.57 ฿443

39.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.89 KWD 7.94

$18.31 ฿598

41.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.5 KWD 28.97

$60.2 ฿1,967

56.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.50 KWD 13.95

$17.14 ฿560

165.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 KWD 3.53

$8.69 ฿284

32.57%

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

$407 KWD 125

$693 ฿22.6K

-41.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,485 KWD 1,989

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-58.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.61 KWD 13.07

$59.5 ฿1,944

-28.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.28 KWD 12.97

$34.77 ฿1,136

21.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 KWD 26.41

$115 ฿3,743

-24.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 KWD 24.86

$83.3 ฿2,720

-2.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$779 KWD 239

$613 ฿20.0K

27.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 KWD 185

$437 ฿14.3K

38.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 KWD 474

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-26.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 KWD 389

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-15.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 KWD 987

$508 ฿16.6K

533.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

5.33

33.96%

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

Last update for Shaab: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $779 in Shaab and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shaab pays 533% 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: $81.0 in Shaab vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $179 vs $293, with Shaab 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

Shaab vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Shaab pays 533% 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: $779 in Shaab versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $407 in Shaab versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Shaab pay roughly 63% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,378 in Shaab, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Shaab. 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 Shaab, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Shaab 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 9% less than in Shaab. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.