Cost of Living Comparison Between Yanbu and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Yanbu and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,038 in Yanbu versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,626 in Yanbu versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,214 in Yanbu versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Yanbu costs roughly 16% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yanbu 24% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.51 SAR 24.47

$4.41 ฿147

47.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.19 SAR 140

$32.26 ฿1,077

15.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.85 SAR 25.73

$8.93 ฿298

-23.29%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 SAR 6.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.96

Cappuccino

$3.57 SAR 13.40

$2.90 ฿96.6

23.10%

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

$0.79 SAR 2.97

$0.88 ฿29.38

-10.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 SAR 0.77

$0.48 ฿16.06

-58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SAR 6.40

$1.87 ฿62.3

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 SAR 3.32

$1.47 ฿48.94

-40.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 SAR 8.10

$1.55 ฿51.8

39.35%

Eggs

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$2.10 ฿70.1

13.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.34 SAR 23.82

$19.59 ฿654

-67.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 SAR 30.98

$3.42 ฿114

141.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 SAR 49.97

$11.38 ฿380

16.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.86

$2.98 ฿99.6

-29.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.68 ฿56.2

2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.67

$2.21 ฿73.7

-31.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.29

$2.16 ฿72.1

-22.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 SAR 4.38

$1.52 ฿50.9

-23.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 SAR 4.11

$1.34 ฿44.67

-18.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 SAR 3.92

$1.13 ฿37.67

-7.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 SAR 2.00

$0.55 ฿18.24

-3.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 SAR 5.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.93

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.72 SAR 25.24

$4.26 ฿142

57.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.92

$2.23 ฿74.4

-53.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.14 SAR 98.2

$22.74 ฿759

14.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 SAR 12.07

$3.03 ฿101

5.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 SAR 2.93

$1.02 ฿34.15

-23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.61 SAR 51.1

$3.89 ฿130

249.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 SAR 2.33

$1.49 ฿49.77

-58.39%

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

$46.4K SAR 174.3K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

74.60%

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

$21.4K SAR 80.6K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-20.65%

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

$102 SAR 384

$102 ฿3,420

-0.28%

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

$22.45 SAR 84.3

$11.33 ฿378

98.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 SAR 253

$17.40 ฿581

287.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.1 SAR 357

$52.1 ฿1,738

82.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.16 SAR 98.2

$11.07 ฿370

136.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 SAR 44.91

$7.69 ฿257

55.53%

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

$266 SAR 998

$561 ฿18.7K

-52.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,837 SAR 14.4K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-66.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.1 SAR 252

$63.0 ฿2,104

6.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 SAR 229

$29.52 ฿986

106.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 SAR 368

$98.0 ฿3,272

-0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 SAR 368

$88.5 ฿2,954

10.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 SAR 1,176

$738 ฿24.6K

-57.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 SAR 790

$482 ฿16.1K

-56.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$595 SAR 2,234

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-71.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 SAR 1,597

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-65.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,470 SAR 13.0K

$494 ฿16.5K

602.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.57

-3.23%

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

Last update for Yanbu: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $313 in Yanbu and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yanbu pays 603% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Yanbu vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $196 vs $274, with Yanbu 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

Yanbu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yanbu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 603% higher in Yanbu, 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: $313 in Yanbu versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $266 in Yanbu versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,038 in Yanbu versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yanbu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Yanbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yanbu 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, Yanbu 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 Yanbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.