Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Balikesir Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Balikesir

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $949 in Balikesir, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $1,509 in Balikesir, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $2,070 in Balikesir, rent included.

Phuket costs about 30% more than Balikesir, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Balikesir are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Balikesir 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.07 ₺345

-37.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$29.01 ₺1,415

11.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.70 ₺376

15.97%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.60 ₺175

-19.44%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.36 ₺66.4

-35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.35 ₺17.29

37.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$3.32 ₺162

-29.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.27 ₺208

-12.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$0.90 ₺43.77

107.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.03 ₺50.5

42.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$2.23 ₺109

-30.49%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.94 ₺94.6

8.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$8.11 ₺395

141.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.81 ₺186

-10.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$18.55 ₺904

-38.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.87 ₺91.3

59.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.87 ₺91.4

-10.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.21 ₺58.8

82.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.00 ₺48.96

116.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.50 ₺24.44

204.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.39 ₺18.94

243.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.94 ₺45.72

20.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.71 ₺34.74

-22.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.10 ₺102

102.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$10.38 ₺506

83.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.00 ₺97.3

-11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$3.32 ₺162

-16.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.64 ₺31.17

248.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$40.75 ₺1,987

-44.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.16 ₺56.7

161.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$1.16 ₺56.4

-12.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$4.35 ₺212

-10.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.23 ₺59.8

21.14%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$42.6K ₺2.1M

-37.67%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$40.8K ₺2.0M

-33.73%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$63.4 ₺3,090

61.73%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$12.13 ₺591

-6.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$14.99 ₺731

16.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$43.75 ₺2,133

19.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$31.30 ₺1,526

-64.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.09 ₺200

88.02%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$475 ₺23.1K

18.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$12.4K ₺605.0K

-7.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$24.93 ₺1,216

152.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$16.53 ₺806

78.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$82.1 ₺4,003

19.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$51.4 ₺2,508

72.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$374 ₺18.2K

97.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$294 ₺14.3K

64.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$810 ₺39.5K

160.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$574 ₺28.0K

113.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,143 ₺55.7K

216.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$829 ₺40.4K

213.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,280 ₺62.4K

-61.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

39.8

-86.01%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Balikesir: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $374 in Balikesir. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 159% higher in Balikesir, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $29.00 in Balikesir. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $217 – making Balikesir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Balikesir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 30% more than Balikesir, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,423 in Balikesir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Balikesir, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,232 in Phuket and $949 in Balikesir. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 79% less in Balikesir. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Balikesir, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Balikesir it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Balikesir costs $949 versus $1,232 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Balikesir. 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.