Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballsh and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballsh and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Ballsh vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,892 per month in Ballsh vs $2,089 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,549 per month in Ballsh vs $2,913 in Phuket, rent included.

Ballsh is about 2% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ballsh and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Ballsh 10% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.13 ALL 800

$4.66 ฿154

117.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 ALL 4,212

$32.22 ฿1,065

65.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 ALL 568

$8.68 ฿287

-17.17%

Cappuccino

$2.32 ALL 183

$2.90 ฿95.8

-20.00%

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

$1.42 ALL 112

$0.84 ฿27.89

69.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ALL 67.5

$0.49 ฿16.16

75.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 ALL 292

$2.48 ฿82.0

49.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 ALL 330

$3.73 ฿123

12.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ALL 182

$1.89 ฿62.3

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ALL 97.8

$1.41 ฿46.54

-12.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 ALL 189

$1.62 ฿53.6

47.53%

Eggs

$3.86 ALL 305

$2.24 ฿74.1

72.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ALL 1,074

$19.84 ฿656

-31.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 ALL 722

$3.48 ฿115

162.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.57 ALL 1,388

$11.37 ฿376

54.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 ALL 160

$2.90 ฿95.8

-30.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 ALL 200

$1.72 ฿57.0

47.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ALL 180

$2.27 ฿75.1

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 ALL 147

$2.13 ฿70.4

-12.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 ALL 82.4

$1.47 ฿48.72

-29.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 ALL 103

$1.42 ฿46.92

-8.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ALL 118

$1.10 ฿36.25

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ALL 64.7

$0.60 ฿19.76

36.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 ALL 398

$4.31 ฿142

16.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.50 ALL 908

$18.60 ฿615

-38.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ALL 139

$1.80 ฿59.5

-2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ALL 161

$2.97 ฿98.0

-31.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 38.52

$2.25 ฿74.2

-78.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.29 ALL 1,603

$23.49 ฿776

-13.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 ALL 294

$3.10 ฿102

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.75 ALL 296

$1.08 ฿35.56

247.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.96 ALL 1,498

$3.87 ฿128

389.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 ALL 189

$1.43 ฿47.16

67.13%

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

$34.5K ALL 2.7M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

24.30%

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

$37.4K ALL 3.0M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

38.45%

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

$102 ALL 8,060

$105 ฿3,462

-2.62%

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

$18.98 ALL 1,499

$11.39 ฿376

66.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.84 ALL 1,646

$17.54 ฿580

18.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 ALL 4,640

$54.3 ฿1,795

8.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$10.04 ALL 793

$7.78 ฿257

29.05%

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

$346 ALL 27.3K

$576 ฿19.0K

-39.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,431 ALL 665.9K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-27.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 ALL 4,050

$63.6 ฿2,103

-19.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.84 ALL 3,857

$29.10 ฿961

67.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 ALL 9,673

$96.2 ฿3,179

27.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ALL 9,016

$90.0 ฿2,974

26.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 ALL 38.3K

$733 ฿24.2K

-33.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 ALL 26.6K

$501 ฿16.5K

-32.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 ALL 56.6K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-66.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 ALL 37.6K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-62.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,886 ALL 149.0K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-46.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,282 ALL 101.2K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-51.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.64

5.57

1.26%

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

Last update for Ballsh: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Ballsh versus $733 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Ballsh versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $275 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Ballsh vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 2% more than Ballsh, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Ballsh and $1,898 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballsh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Phuket – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Ballsh and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ballsh, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Ballsh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ballsh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ballsh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.