Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ballito Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ballito

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,024 in Ballito.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,511 in Ballito.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,998 in Ballito.

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than Ballito, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ballito 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.67 R 129

-39.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$28.41 R 476

64.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.97 R 83.4

77.87%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.92 R 32.22

56.25%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.88 R 14.82

-15.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.71 R 11.95

-47.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.90 R 31.93

28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.26 R 37.89

59.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.99 R 16.60

128.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.80 R 13.45

130.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.41 R 23.63

58.87%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.00 R 33.51

16.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.01 R 101

227.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.34 R 72.8

-15.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$6.23 R 104

110.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.37 R 23.05

147.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.43 R 24.00

14.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.37 R 22.99

75.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.00 R 16.83

103.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.77 R 12.99

102.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.22 R 20.50

22.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.02 R 17.03

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.97 R 16.32

-49.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.07 R 51.5

44.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.06 R 68.0

365.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.32 R 22.07

34.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.75 R 29.32

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.63 R 27.29

-14.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$25.10 R 421

-54.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.71 R 28.75

82.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.56 R 9.33

78.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.71 R 112

109.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.23 R 20.63

9.76%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$19.8K R 332.1K

37.27%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.8K R 382.1K

44.51%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$105 R 1,755

19.43%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$20.77 R 348

-34.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$27.62 R 463

-32.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$30.70 R 515

100.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$11.28 R 189

49.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.70 R 95.6

61.23%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$139 R 2,327

403.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$2,506 R 42.0K

522.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$41.27 R 692

39.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$30.56 R 513

15.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$56.4 R 945

100.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$72.2 R 1,211

19.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$363 R 6,083

69.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$444 R 7,443

0.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$696 R 11.7K

194.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$698 R 11.7K

113.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,386 R 23.2K

172.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,098 R 18.4K

141.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,618 R 27.1K

-67.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.01

-55.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ballito: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $363 in Ballito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballito pays 209% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Ballito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $155 per month, with Ballito 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 Ballito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballito is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ballito earns 209% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $363 in Ballito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ballito – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,024 in Ballito – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,024 in Ballito versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ballito but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ballito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ballito is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ballito 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 Ballito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.