Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Balbriggan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Balbriggan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,519 in Balbriggan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $3,758 in Balbriggan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $4,997 in Balbriggan.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 50% less than in Balbriggan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Balbriggan is 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$23.01 €19.82

-80.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$104 €89.6

-55.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$12.69 €10.93

-33.25%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.82 €4.15

-37.14%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.49 €2.15

-72.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$2.13 €1.83

-82.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$8.32 €7.17

-70.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.80 €5.86

-46.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.67 €1.44

30.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.11 €1.81

-9.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.98 €1.71

11.11%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.14 €2.70

-29.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$11.38 €9.80

75.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$11.44 €9.86

-68.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$13.92 €12.00

-4.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.26 €2.81

-0.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.03 €1.75

-16.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.91 €2.50

-17.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$5.55 €4.79

-62.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.15 €1.85

-26.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.79 €1.54

-17.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.36 €1.17

-24.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.99 €1.72

-73.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$20.24 €17.43

-79.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$13.96 €12.03

34.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.91 €2.50

-39.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.53 €2.18

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$2.46 €2.12

-44.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$98.5 €84.8

-88.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$5.24 €4.52

-40.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.07 €1.78

-49.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$38.81 €33.44

-64.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$2.03 €1.75

-33.99%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$41.7K €36.0K

-33.69%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$40.7K €35.0K

-16.73%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$177 €153

-30.19%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$17.57 €15.14

-23.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$46.24 €39.84

-59.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$55.2 €47.54

12.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$13.77 €11.86

-33.62%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$1,374 €1,184

-48.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$9,416 €8,113

68.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$105 €90.3

-43.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$28.86 €24.86

21.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$64.9 €55.9

77.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$126 €108

-33.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$1,498 €1,291

-58.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$1,255 €1,081

-65.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$2,432 €2,095

-15.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,946 €1,677

-22.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$4,381 €3,775

-16.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$2,748 €2,368

-4.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$2,359 €2,033

-78.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.04

31.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Balbriggan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,498 in Balbriggan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balbriggan pays 365% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $104 in Balbriggan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $346 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Balbriggan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Balbriggan differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $2,519 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Balbriggan earns 365% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $1,498 in Balbriggan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Balbriggan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $104 in Balbriggan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,519 in Balbriggan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Balbriggan. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Balbriggan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Balbriggan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.