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: $1,318 in Tabuk versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,034 in Tabuk versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Tabuk versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Tabuk is roughly 4% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tabuk 1% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.67 SAR 32.57

$4.48 ฿150

93.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.15 SAR 106

$45.59 ฿1,521

-38.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 SAR 27.32

$8.76 ฿292

-17.01%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 SAR 6.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.96

Cappuccino

$2.98 SAR 11.20

$2.97 ฿99.0

0.34%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.64

$0.69 ฿22.90

1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.96

$0.39 ฿13.04

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$2.15 ฿71.6

-11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 SAR 1.98

$1.82 ฿60.6

-70.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 SAR 10.23

$2.18 ฿72.9

24.77%

Eggs

$2.63 SAR 9.86

$2.25 ฿75.0

16.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 SAR 45.90

$20.00 ฿667

-38.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 SAR 24.59

$3.63 ฿121

80.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 SAR 49.52

$13.56 ฿452

-2.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 SAR 7.32

$3.24 ฿108

-39.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.80

$1.64 ฿54.6

-5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 SAR 6.61

$2.33 ฿77.8

-24.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.44

$2.07 ฿69.1

8.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

$1.55 ฿51.6

9.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 SAR 7.46

$1.46 ฿48.54

36.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 SAR 7.47

$0.98 ฿32.86

103.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 SAR 2.15

$0.48 ฿16.09

18.75%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.77 SAR 10.40

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.81

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.51 SAR 28.20

$4.35 ฿145

72.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$1.42 ฿47.28

-22.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.35 SAR 152

$11.57 ฿386

248.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.59 SAR 9.73

$3.17 ฿106

-18.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

$1.03 ฿34.41

77.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.17 SAR 49.47

$13.89 ฿463

-5.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 SAR 2.48

$1.34 ฿44.84

-50.75%

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

$26.1K SAR 98.1K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-6.00%

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

$22.5K SAR 84.5K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-32.57%

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

$157 SAR 589

$123 ฿4,105

27.47%

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

$36.52 SAR 137

$13.77 ฿459

165.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$106 SAR 399

$18.33 ฿611

479.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.7 SAR 333

$60.7 ฿2,025

46.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.57 SAR 134

$17.16 ฿573

107.28%

Cinema Ticket

$24.86 SAR 93.4

$8.87 ฿296

180.27%

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

$350 SAR 1,314

$688 ฿22.9K

-49.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,426 SAR 31.6K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-46.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 SAR 224

$59.3 ฿1,978

0.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 SAR 229

$34.69 ฿1,157

75.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 SAR 301

$115 ฿3,843

-30.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 SAR 312

$83.8 ฿2,794

-0.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$341 SAR 1,280

$621 ฿20.7K

-45.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 SAR 1,359

$446 ฿14.9K

-18.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 SAR 3,047

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-60.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 SAR 2,744

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-51.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,687 SAR 10.1K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-22.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,398 SAR 5,248

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-44.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,726 SAR 6,482

$494 ฿16.5K

249.69%

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 Tabuk: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $341 in Tabuk and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tabuk pays 250% 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: $28.00 in Tabuk vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $291 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 Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 250% 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: $341 in Tabuk versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $350 in Tabuk versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tabuk pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,318 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 4% less than in Tabuk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.