Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Babol

For one person, living is cheaper in Babol: $471 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Babol
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Babol Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Babol

🇮🇷 Iran

$471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Babol

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $471 in Babol, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Babol $471

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $733 in Babol, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Babol $733

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $994 in Babol, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Babol $994

Phuket costs about 171% more than Babol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Babol are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Babol 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.94 $2.94

52.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$10.80 $10.80

200.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.02 $4.02

119.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.49 $0.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 $0.66

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$1.05 $1.05

169.52%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.29 $0.29

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.72 $1.72

-71.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.71 $0.71

133.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.22 $0.22

563.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.47 $2.47

-39.27%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.22 $1.22

71.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$2.02 $2.02

844.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.27 $3.27

0.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.23 $9.23

18.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.22 $1.22

140.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.41 $1.41

19.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.48 $0.48

368.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.48 $0.48

333.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.29 $0.29

420.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.29 $0.29

375.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.29 $0.29

268.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.14 $0.14

271.43%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 $0.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.24 $2.24

87.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.16 $0.16

806.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$9.65 $9.65

487.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.51 $0.51

492.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.29 $0.29

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.94 $2.94

25.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.08 $0.08

1737.50%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$49.2K $49.2K

-45.62%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$30.1K $30.1K

-11.19%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$12.91 $12.91

646.32%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$1.52 $1.52

640.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$3.84 $3.84

338.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$18.51 $18.51

263.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$13.57 $13.57

-20.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$1.94 $1.94

286.60%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$48.02 $48.02

891.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$2,397 $2,397

369.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$19.85 $19.85

214.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$14.97 $14.97

89.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$53.6 $53.6

75.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$39.31 $39.31

118.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$289 $289

147.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$207 $207

136.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$779 $779

147.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$359 $359

298.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$911 $911

358.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$596 $596

410.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$130 $130

285.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

23.75

-76.55%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Babol: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Babol

$207 44% 57.7% $283

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Babol

$97 20.6% 63.5% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Babol

$18 3.9% 85.3% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Babol

$57 12.2% 52.8% $64

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Babol

$56 11.9% 53.8% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Babol

$22 4.8% 72.8% $60

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Babol

$12 2.6% 82.6% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $289 in Babol. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Phuket are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $11 in Babol. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $97 – making Babol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇷 Babol

🕒 Local time

06:45 6:45 AM

03:15 3:15 AM

3 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

220,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Phuket Babol 5,600 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Babol

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 Babol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $471 in Babol – Babol comes out roughly 63% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $707 in Babol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Babol, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $289 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Public transport costs about 83% less in Babol. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $48 in Babol. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Babol, where all-in costs run around $471, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Babol it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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