Cost of Living Comparison Between Shubra Al Khaymah and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Shubra Al Khaymah and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $449 in Shubra Al Khaymah versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $728 in Shubra Al Khaymah versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,007 in Shubra Al Khaymah versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Shubra Al Khaymah costs roughly 65% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Shubra Al Khaymah 66% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.53 E£178

$4.48 ฿150

-21.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.09 E£810

$45.59 ฿1,521

-64.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.73 E£238

$8.76 ฿292

-46.00%

Cappuccino

$1.48 E£74.7

$2.97 ฿99.0

-50.17%

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

$0.29 E£14.53

$0.69 ฿22.90

-57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 E£6.14

$0.39 ฿13.04

-69.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 E£60.5

$2.53 ฿84.4

-52.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 E£140

$3.75 ฿125

-25.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 E£39.82

$2.15 ฿71.6

-63.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 E£31.23

$1.82 ฿60.6

-65.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 E£33.13

$2.18 ฿72.9

-69.72%

Eggs

$1.45 E£73.1

$2.25 ฿75.0

-35.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.33 E£168

$20.00 ฿667

-83.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 E£217

$3.63 ฿121

19.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 E£426

$13.56 ฿452

-37.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 E£70.8

$3.24 ฿108

-56.48%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 E£27.54

$1.64 ฿54.6

-66.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.03

$2.33 ฿77.8

-82.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.37 E£18.42

$2.07 ฿69.1

-82.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.24

$1.55 ฿51.6

-74.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.41 E£20.60

$1.46 ฿48.54

-71.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 E£12.09

$0.98 ฿32.86

-75.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.20 E£9.90

$0.48 ฿16.09

-58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 E£98.6

$4.35 ฿145

-54.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 E£289

$18.57 ฿620

-69.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 E£62.2

$1.86 ฿61.9

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 E£89.2

$2.65 ฿88.6

-33.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 E£8.24

$1.42 ฿47.28

-88.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£19.53

$3.17 ฿106

-87.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 E£14.49

$1.03 ฿34.41

-71.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 E£51.7

$13.89 ฿463

-92.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.33 E£16.70

$1.34 ฿44.84

-75.37%

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

$35.9K E£1.8M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

29.10%

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

$30.8K E£1.6M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-7.63%

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

$11.28 E£567

$123 ฿4,105

-90.83%

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

$5.76 E£290

$13.77 ฿459

-58.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.86 E£496

$18.33 ฿611

-46.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.17 E£1,115

$60.7 ฿2,025

-63.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$2.98 E£150

$8.87 ฿296

-66.40%

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

$90.3 E£4,543

$688 ฿22.9K

-86.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,864 E£93.8K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-88.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.73 E£1,395

$59.3 ฿1,978

-53.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.99 E£2,213

$34.69 ฿1,157

26.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 E£5,300

$115 ฿3,843

-8.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.76 E£2,503

$83.8 ฿2,794

-40.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$190 E£9,570

$621 ฿20.7K

-69.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100.0 E£5,029

$446 ฿14.9K

-77.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$312 E£15.7K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-84.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 E£8,890

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-88.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$798 E£40.2K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-76.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$388 E£19.5K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-84.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

5.33

212.76%

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

Last update for Shubra Al Khaymah: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $190 in Shubra Al Khaymah and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Shubra Al Khaymah vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $120 vs $291 per month, with Shubra Al Khaymah 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

Shubra Al Khaymah vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shubra Al Khaymah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 182% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $673 in Shubra Al Khaymah and $1,896 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $190 in Shubra Al Khaymah versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $90.3 in Shubra Al Khaymah versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shubra Al Khaymah – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $449 in Shubra Al Khaymah versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shubra Al Khaymah but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Shubra Al Khaymah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shubra Al Khaymah 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, Shubra Al Khaymah 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 Shubra Al Khaymah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.