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: $1,339 in Tabuk versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,045 in Tabuk versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,751 in Tabuk versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Tabuk is roughly 6% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tabuk is 0% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.45 SAR 31.71

$4.56 ฿149

85.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.15 SAR 106

$46.63 ฿1,519

-39.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 SAR 26.22

$8.47 ฿276

-17.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SAR 6.92

Cappuccino

$3.00 SAR 11.27

$3.03 ฿98.6

-0.99%

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

$0.75 SAR 2.83

$0.69 ฿22.45

8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.97

$0.37 ฿11.92

-29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 SAR 7.19

$2.18 ฿71.0

-11.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 SAR 1.94

$1.90 ฿62.0

-72.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 SAR 10.47

$2.20 ฿71.6

26.82%

Eggs

$2.61 SAR 9.78

$2.22 ฿72.4

17.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.21 SAR 45.81

$19.99 ฿651

-38.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 SAR 25.19

$3.66 ฿119

83.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.83 SAR 48.16

$13.25 ฿432

-3.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 SAR 7.54

$3.23 ฿105

-37.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.80

$1.70 ฿55.3

-8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.44

$2.39 ฿78.0

-28.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$2.08 ฿67.7

7.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

$1.59 ฿51.8

7.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

$1.48 ฿48.31

41.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 SAR 7.22

$1.03 ฿33.54

87.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 SAR 2.25

$0.52 ฿16.83

15.38%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.70 SAR 10.13

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.65

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.54 SAR 28.28

$4.25 ฿138

77.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.92

$1.36 ฿44.32

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.88 SAR 150

$11.36 ฿370

251.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 SAR 10.24

$3.14 ฿102

-13.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.14

$1.04 ฿33.74

82.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.52 SAR 50.7

$13.77 ฿448

-1.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$1.34 ฿43.79

-52.24%

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

$26.9K SAR 100.9K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-2.86%

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

$22.7K SAR 85.4K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-32.82%

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

$157 SAR 588

$124 ฿4,025

26.89%

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

$36.59 SAR 137

$13.52 ฿440

170.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$106 SAR 396

$18.69 ฿609

464.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.4 SAR 324

$61.8 ฿2,013

39.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.73 SAR 134

$17.25 ฿562

107.13%

Cinema Ticket

$25.29 SAR 94.9

$9.14 ฿298

176.70%

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

$355 SAR 1,332

$703 ฿22.9K

-49.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,533 SAR 32.0K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-46.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 SAR 225

$59.5 ฿1,937

0.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 SAR 223

$35.07 ฿1,142

69.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 SAR 299

$115 ฿3,754

-30.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 SAR 308

$84.1 ฿2,737

-2.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 SAR 1,286

$619 ฿20.1K

-44.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 SAR 1,349

$433 ฿14.1K

-16.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 SAR 3,004

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-61.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 SAR 2,782

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-50.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,204 SAR 8,269

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-39.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,339 SAR 5,025

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-48.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,742 SAR 6,538

$507 ฿16.5K

243.62%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $343 in Tabuk and $619 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: $28.00 in Tabuk vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $293 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 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Tabuk pays 244% 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: $343 in Tabuk versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $355 in Tabuk versus $703 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 $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,339 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 6% less than in Tabuk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.