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 $633 in Ballito.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $982 in Ballito.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,331 in Ballito.

Living in Phuket is roughly 94% more expensive than in Ballito, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Ballito 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.33 R 104

-30.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$40.38 R 661

-20.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.19 R 101

44.26%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.78 R 45.50

4.32%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.15 R 18.80

-23.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.88 R 14.34

-45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.97 R 32.23

19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.66 R 43.61

39.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.04 R 17.01

79.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.93 R 15.23

58.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.54 R 25.24

0.65%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.51 R 41.09

-16.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.48 R 123

161.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.81 R 78.8

-28.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$7.38 R 121

54.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.56 R 25.51

91.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.93 R 31.66

-12.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.50 R 24.60

47.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.69 R 27.62

27.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.11 R 18.21

36.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.44 R 23.58

-6.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.24 R 20.25

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.22 R 20.02

-54.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.63 R 59.5

17.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$4.78 R 78.3

299.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.40 R 22.91

27.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.89 R 31.01

47.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.45 R 7.35

573.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.75 R 12.32

36.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.76 R 127

-49.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.33 R 21.77

12.03%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$35.7K R 584.1K

-25.46%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$32.4K R 531.5K

-16.70%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$141 R 2,312

-27.41%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$22.77 R 373

-50.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$37.43 R 613

-53.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.98 R 97.9

28.60%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$326 R 5,334

72.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,835 R 128.3K

46.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$43.77 R 717

44.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$29.90 R 490

-1.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$60.7 R 994

61.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$87.4 R 1,432

1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$455 R 7,446

62.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,525 R 25.0K

38.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,501 R 24.6K

-67.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.81

-52.84%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Ballito: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $455 in Ballito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballito pays 204% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Ballito. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $185, with Ballito cheaper for home cooking.

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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 204% lower in Ballito. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $455 in Ballito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $326 in Ballito. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ballito – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $633 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 94% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.