Cost of Living Comparison Between Balbriggan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Balbriggan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,528 in Balbriggan versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,767 in Balbriggan versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,005 in Balbriggan versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Balbriggan is roughly 105% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balbriggan is 89% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.28 €19.93

$4.63 ฿151

402.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 €90.1

$46.84 ฿1,532

124.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 €10.75

$8.84 ฿289

42.08%

Cappuccino

$4.60 €3.93

$3.00 ฿98.0

53.33%

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

$2.46 €2.11

$0.74 ฿24.25

232.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.90

$0.37 ฿11.95

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 €7.06

$2.44 ฿79.8

238.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 €5.98

$3.61 ฿118

93.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.42

$2.26 ฿73.9

-26.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.84 ฿60.1

15.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 €1.79

$2.24 ฿73.4

-6.70%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.78

$2.32 ฿75.7

40.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 €9.54

$19.67 ฿643

-43.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 €9.89

$3.65 ฿119

216.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 €12.29

$13.10 ฿428

9.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 €2.73

$3.39 ฿111

-5.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.82

$1.64 ฿53.7

29.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 €2.53

$2.41 ฿79.0

22.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.48 €4.69

$2.03 ฿66.4

169.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.56 ฿50.9

41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 €1.51

$1.50 ฿48.94

18.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.02 ฿33.50

28.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.73

$0.49 ฿16.00

312.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.58 €17.62

$4.45 ฿145

362.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 €11.97

$18.88 ฿617

-25.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.52

$1.78 ฿58.1

65.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.19

$2.75 ฿90.1

-6.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.13

$1.40 ฿45.81

77.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 €85.7

$11.48 ฿376

771.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 €4.45

$3.12 ฿102

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.76

$1.00 ฿32.67

106.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.29 €32.78

$14.09 ฿461

171.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.35 ฿44.19

46.67%

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

$43.0K €36.8K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

58.19%

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

$40.9K €35.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

24.37%

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

$177 €151

$125 ฿4,087

41.53%

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

$17.24 €14.76

$13.57 ฿444

27.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.73 €40.00

$18.52 ฿606

152.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 €46.43

$61.5 ฿2,010

-11.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 €11.94

$9.19 ฿300

51.69%

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

$1,361 €1,165

$698 ฿22.8K

94.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,730 €8,329

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-37.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.1

$57.8 ฿1,889

80.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.21 €25.00

$35.24 ฿1,152

-17.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.7 €54.5

$113 ฿3,699

-43.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €111

$86.4 ฿2,825

50.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,257

$616 ฿20.1K

138.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 €1,078

$446 ฿14.6K

182.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 €2,037

$2,048 ฿67.0K

16.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 €1,688

$1,492 ฿48.8K

32.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,621 €3,956

$3,779 ฿123.6K

22.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,438 €2,087

$524 ฿17.1K

365.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

5.33

-24.20%

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

Last update for Balbriggan: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,469 in Balbriggan and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balbriggan pays 366% 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: $105 in Balbriggan vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $292 per month, with Phuket 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

Balbriggan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Balbriggan and Phuket differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($2,528 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Balbriggan pays 366% 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: $1,469 in Balbriggan versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Balbriggan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $105 in Balbriggan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,528 in Balbriggan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Balbriggan. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Balbriggan 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 105% less than in Balbriggan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.