Cost of Living Comparison Between Tabuk and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tabuk and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Tabuk versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,848 in Tabuk versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,453 in Tabuk versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Tabuk is roughly 1% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tabuk 9% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.55 SAR 28.33

$4.41 ฿147

71.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 SAR 121

$32.26 ฿1,073

-0.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 SAR 28.92

$8.93 ฿297

-13.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.37 SAR 5.14

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Cappuccino

$3.13 SAR 11.76

$2.90 ฿96.3

7.93%

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

$0.72 SAR 2.72

$0.88 ฿29.27

-18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$0.48 ฿16.00

-45.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 SAR 7.44

$1.87 ฿62.0

5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 SAR 3.46

$1.47 ฿48.75

-37.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SAR 10.18

$1.55 ฿51.6

74.84%

Eggs

$2.82 SAR 10.60

$2.10 ฿69.9

34.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 SAR 46.83

$19.59 ฿651

-36.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 SAR 25.62

$3.42 ฿114

99.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 SAR 49.57

$11.38 ฿378

15.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.31

$2.98 ฿99.2

-34.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.24

$1.68 ฿56.0

-1.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

$2.21 ฿73.5

-21.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 SAR 8.40

$2.16 ฿71.9

3.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.52 ฿50.7

15.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 SAR 7.72

$1.34 ฿44.49

53.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 SAR 7.21

$1.13 ฿37.53

69.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.08

$0.55 ฿18.17

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.86

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.73 SAR 25.29

$4.26 ฿142

57.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.12

$2.23 ฿74.1

-50.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.75 SAR 134

$22.74 ฿756

57.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 SAR 11.20

$3.03 ฿101

-1.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 SAR 6.61

$1.02 ฿34.02

72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.11 SAR 49.22

$3.89 ฿129

237.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 SAR 2.49

$1.49 ฿49.57

-55.70%

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

$45.7K SAR 171.8K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

72.07%

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

$21.7K SAR 81.5K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

-19.74%

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

$101 SAR 379

$102 ฿3,407

-1.56%

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

$36.18 SAR 136

$11.33 ฿377

219.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.6 SAR 288

$17.40 ฿578

340.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.8 SAR 319

$52.1 ฿1,732

62.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.50 SAR 141

$11.07 ฿368

238.75%

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 SAR 49.78

$7.69 ฿256

72.43%

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

$351 SAR 1,316

$561 ฿18.6K

-37.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,364 SAR 31.4K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-27.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 SAR 190

$63.0 ฿2,096

-19.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 SAR 214

$29.52 ฿982

93.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 SAR 359

$98.0 ฿3,259

-2.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.0 SAR 327

$88.5 ฿2,943

-1.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 SAR 1,267

$738 ฿24.5K

-54.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 SAR 1,392

$482 ฿16.0K

-23.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 SAR 2,368

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-70.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 SAR 2,289

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-50.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,335 SAR 8,768

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-35.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,399 SAR 5,254

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-46.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,697 SAR 6,372

$494 ฿16.4K

243.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

5.57

-1.80%

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

Last update for Tabuk: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $337 in Tabuk and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tabuk pays 244% 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: $32.00 in Tabuk vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 vs $274 per month, with Tabuk 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

Tabuk vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 244% higher in Tabuk, 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: $337 in Tabuk versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $351 in Tabuk versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tabuk pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,244 in Tabuk, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tabuk. 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 Tabuk, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tabuk 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 1% less than in Tabuk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.