Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Baalbek

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,586 in Baalbek, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Baalbek
Learn more

Baalbek Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Baalbek

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Baalbek

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,586 in Baalbek, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Baalbek $1,586

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,479 in Baalbek, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Baalbek $2,479

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,372 in Baalbek, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Baalbek $3,372

Phuket is about 19% cheaper than Baalbek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Baalbek is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$11.91 LBP 1.1M

-62.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$67.7 LBP 6.1M

-52.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.86 LBP 882.2K

-10.65%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.51 LBP 403.5K

-37.25%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.27 LBP 203.3K

-61.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.83 LBP 74.4K

-40.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$4.98 LBP 445.4K

-48.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.71 LBP 421.1K

-21.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.01 LBP 180.1K

-17.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.92 LBP 82.5K

58.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.16 LBP 193.6K

-30.56%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.51 LBP 314.0K

-40.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$11.25 LBP 1.0M

69.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.71 LBP 958.4K

-69.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$14.88 LBP 1.3M

-26.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.01 LBP 269.4K

-2.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.66 LBP 148.8K

1.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.68 LBP 150.3K

33.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.47 LBP 131.6K

41.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.22 LBP 109.1K

23.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.62 LBP 144.7K

-14.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.16 LBP 103.7K

-7.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.67 LBP 59.8K

-22.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.96 LBP 265.2K

41.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$11.12 LBP 995.3K

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.26 LBP 113.2K

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.56 LBP 228.7K

10.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$4.92 LBP 440.2K

-38.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$2.28 LBP 203.8K

-55.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$22.88 LBP 2.0M

-83.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.04 LBP 93.0K

41.35%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$53.3K LBP 4.8B

-49.75%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$33.1K LBP 3.0B

-19.47%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$215 LBP 19.2M

-55.13%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$23.82 LBP 2.1M

-52.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$38.34 LBP 3.4M

-56.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$10.07 LBP 901.3K

-25.52%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$686 LBP 61.4M

-30.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$10.5K LBP 940.9M

7.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$67.7 LBP 6.1M

-7.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$48.63 LBP 4.4M

-41.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$138 LBP 12.3M

-31.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$120 LBP 10.7M

-28.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$922 LBP 82.5M

-22.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$603 LBP 53.9M

-18.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,470 LBP 131.5M

31.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,189 LBP 106.4M

20.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Baalbek: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Baalbek

$603 38% 22.8% $112

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Baalbek

$276 17.4% 3.8% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Baalbek

$277 17.5% 122% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Baalbek

$168 10.6% 38% $46

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Baalbek

$226 14.2% 85.4% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Baalbek

$20 * 1.3% 75.5% $62

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Baalbek

$16 * 1% 76.9% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $922 in Baalbek. 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 $32 in Phuket versus $68 in Baalbek. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $276 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇧 Baalbek

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

15:31 3:31 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

82,608

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD

100,000 LBP = 1 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,933 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Baalbek 6,960 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Baalbek

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 Baalbek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,586 in Baalbek – Phuket comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,379 in Baalbek. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $922 in Baalbek.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $68 in Baalbek. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Baalbek, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Baalbek at $1,586. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baalbek it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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