Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ba'labakk

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba'labakk: $993 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Ba'labakk
Learn more

Ba'labakk Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Ba'labakk

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$993

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ba'labakk

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 Ba'labakk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Phuket vs $993 in Ba'labakk, rent included.

Phuket $1,190
Ba'labakk $993

A couple spends around $2,006 per month in Phuket vs $1,600 in Ba'labakk, rent included.

Phuket $2,006
Ba'labakk $1,600

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Phuket vs $2,207 in Ba'labakk, rent included.

Phuket $2,822
Ba'labakk $2,207

Phuket costs about 20% more than Ba'labakk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Phuket and Ba'labakk are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Ba'labakk 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$11.91 LBP 1.1M

-63.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$69.0 LBP 6.2M

-52.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$10.02 LBP 897.2K

-15.97%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$4.56 LBP 408.2K

-38.38%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$2.31 LBP 206.6K

-62.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$0.90 LBP 81.0K

-48.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$5.15 LBP 460.5K

-49.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$4.82 LBP 431.5K

-24.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$2.01 LBP 179.6K

-14.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$0.91 LBP 81.5K

59.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.25 LBP 201.5K

-30.67%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$3.48 LBP 311.5K

-39.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$11.03 LBP 987.1K

77.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$10.54 LBP 943.2K

-67.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$14.87 LBP 1.3M

-25.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$3.12 LBP 279.4K

-9.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.72 LBP 153.8K

-5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$1.68 LBP 149.9K

32.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$1.46 LBP 130.3K

47.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$1.22 LBP 108.9K

22.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$1.52 LBP 136.4K

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$1.18 LBP 105.2K

-9.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$0.67 LBP 60.0K

-23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$3.01 LBP 269.5K

45.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$10.95 LBP 980.2K

71.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.26 LBP 113.1K

38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.55 LBP 228.0K

9.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$4.96 LBP 443.7K

-39.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$2.27 LBP 203.4K

-53.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$22.88 LBP 2.0M

-83.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$1.03 LBP 92.6K

38.83%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$52.6K LBP 4.7B

-49.89%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$32.3K LBP 2.9B

-18.93%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$236 LBP 21.1M

-58.97%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$22.30 LBP 2.0M

-48.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$37.92 LBP 3.4M

-54.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$9.90 LBP 885.7K

-22.73%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$676 LBP 60.5M

-17.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$10.6K LBP 950.7M

6.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$68.4 LBP 6.1M

-7.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$49.67 LBP 4.4M

-42.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$138 LBP 12.3M

-29.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$122 LBP 10.9M

-27.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ba'labakk: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Ba'labakk

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Ba'labakk

$275 27.4% 2.7% $7.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Ba'labakk

$296 29.4% 136% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Ba'labakk

$170 16.9% 36.2% $45

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Ba'labakk

$228 22.7% 91.4% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Ba'labakk

$20 * 2% 70.9% $48

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Ba'labakk

$16 * 1.6% 58.4% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $69.0 in Ba'labakk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $275 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇧 Ba'labakk

🕒 Local time

21:21 9:21 PM

17:21 5:21 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,291 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.97 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ba'labakk 6,960 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ba'labakk

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 Ba'labakk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Phuket and $1,489 in Ba'labakk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $69.0 in Ba'labakk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Phuket – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ba'labakk, where all-in costs run around $993, than in Phuket at $1,190. In Ba'labakk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ba'labakk – 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 Ba'labakk. 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.