Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Al Bayda

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Bayda: $10.38 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Al Bayda

🇱🇾 Libya

$10.38

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Al Bayda

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Al Bayda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $10.38 in Al Bayda.

Phuket $1,294
Al Bayda $10.38

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $16.02 in Al Bayda.

Phuket $2,204
Al Bayda $16.02

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $22 in Al Bayda.

Phuket $3,115
Al Bayda $22

Living in Phuket is roughly 12362% more expensive than in Al Bayda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Al Bayda 99% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.60 LYD 10.24

-6.25%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$0.32 LYD 2.08

562.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$0.49 LYD 3.11

197.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$0.45 LYD 2.89

204.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$14.0K LYD 89.7K

88.10%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

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

$11.29 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

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

$530 ฿17.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Al Bayda: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Al Bayda

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Al Bayda

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Al Bayda

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Al Bayda

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Al Bayda

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Al Bayda

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Al Bayda

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇾 Al Bayda

🕒 Local time

19:58 7:58 PM

14:58 2:58 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

310,329

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.139 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 6.4 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.18 LYD (1 LYD = 0.139 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Al Bayda 8,290 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Al Bayda

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Phuket vs Al Bayda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Bayda is about 99% cheaper overall, especially in groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $15.57 in Al Bayda to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2471% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,294 per month in Phuket versus $10.38 in Al Bayda – Al Bayda is about 99% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $10.38 in Al Bayda versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Bayda but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Al Bayda 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.