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 $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,332 in Shaab versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,286 in Shaab versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Shaab is roughly 10% more expensive than in 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

$9.90 KWD 3.04

$4.55 ฿153

117.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.0 KWD 25.19

$46.18 ฿1,554

77.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.16 KWD 2.81

$8.84 ฿298

3.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 KWD 0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 KWD 1.11

Cappuccino

$5.85 KWD 1.80

$3.06 ฿103

91.18%

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

$0.69 KWD 0.21

$0.73 ฿24.42

-5.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 KWD 0.12

$0.40 ฿13.40

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 KWD 0.50

$2.26 ฿76.0

-27.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 KWD 0.38

$1.81 ฿60.9

-32.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 KWD 0.53

$2.25 ฿75.8

-23.11%

Eggs

$2.01 KWD 0.62

$2.25 ฿75.6

-10.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.09 KWD 1.57

$19.51 ฿656

-73.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 KWD 1.97

$3.65 ฿123

75.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 KWD 3.17

$13.05 ฿439

-20.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 KWD 0.74

$3.23 ฿109

-25.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 KWD 0.59

$1.62 ฿54.4

18.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KWD 0.55

$2.38 ฿80.2

-24.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 KWD 0.46

$2.03 ฿68.2

-26.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 KWD 0.37

$1.53 ฿51.6

-20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 KWD 0.41

$1.50 ฿50.5

-12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 KWD 0.49

$0.98 ฿32.93

64.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 KWD 0.15

$0.52 ฿17.40

-5.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.33 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 KWD 0.88

$4.44 ฿149

-35.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 KWD 0.25

$1.41 ฿47.49

-41.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.40 KWD 13.65

$11.70 ฿394

279.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 KWD 1.00

$3.11 ฿105

4.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 KWD 1.02

$1.04 ฿35.08

219.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 KWD 5.06

$14.11 ฿475

16.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.34 KWD 0.10

$1.31 ฿44.13

-74.05%

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

$21.5K KWD 6,601

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-22.80%

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

$19.6K KWD 6,039

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-40.85%

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

$62.9 KWD 19.33

$122 ฿4,120

-48.64%

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

$18.50 KWD 5.69

$13.59 ฿457

36.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.11 KWD 8.03

$18.70 ฿629

39.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.7 KWD 28.79

$60.5 ฿2,035

54.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.12 KWD 14.49

$16.98 ฿572

177.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 KWD 3.46

$9.07 ฿305

24.15%

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

$408 KWD 125

$706 ฿23.8K

-42.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,576 KWD 2,021

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-58.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.81 KWD 13.16

$58.6 ฿1,970

-26.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.43 KWD 13.04

$35.36 ฿1,190

19.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 KWD 26.57

$115 ฿3,885

-25.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 KWD 25.50

$83.7 ฿2,818

-0.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$784 KWD 241

$626 ฿21.1K

25.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 KWD 191

$445 ฿15.0K

39.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 KWD 493

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-21.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 KWD 393

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-14.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,210 KWD 987

$500 ฿16.8K

542.12%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $784 in Shaab and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shaab pays 542% 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: $82.0 in Shaab vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $179 vs $289, 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 542% higher in Shaab, 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: $784 in Shaab versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $408 in Shaab versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Shaab pay roughly 62% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 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 10% less than in Shaab. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.