Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Baniyas

For one person, living is cheaper in Baniyas: $384 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Baniyas
Learn more

Baniyas Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Baniyas

🇸🇾 Syria

$384

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Baniyas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $384 in Baniyas.

Phuket $1,278
Baniyas $384

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $678 in Baniyas.

Phuket $2,216
Baniyas $678

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $971 in Baniyas.

Phuket $3,154
Baniyas $971

Living in Phuket is roughly 232% more expensive than in Baniyas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Baniyas 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.04 SYP 248

119.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$42.17 SYP 5,124

-23.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.82 SYP 829

29.18%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$0.48 SYP 58.3

489.58%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.97 SYP 118

-10.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.31 SYP 38.09

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.46 SYP 178

75.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.98 SYP 484

-7.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.78 SYP 95.2

112.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.39 SYP 46.99

274.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.02 SYP 124

47.06%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.22 SYP 148

71.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$3.41 SYP 414

459.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.86 SYP 712

-43.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$13.83 SYP 1,680

-21.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$0.51 SYP 62.1

474.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.98 SYP 119

72.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.29 SYP 35.15

675.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.52 SYP 63.2

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.31 SYP 38.20

387.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.42 SYP 50.6

228.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.41 SYP 49.80

160.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.62 SYP 75.0

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.72 SYP 330

54.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.07 SYP 616

270.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.09 SYP 133

66.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.95 SYP 359

-3.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.22 SYP 26.99

559.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$8.12 SYP 987

597.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.98 SYP 119

208.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.56 SYP 190

-34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$7.56 SYP 918

-51.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.48 SYP 180

-0.68%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$15.3K SYP 1.9M

75.29%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$19.4K SYP 2.4M

37.89%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$20.11 SYP 2,443

379.11%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$4.10 SYP 498

174.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$46.75 SYP 5,681

-63.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.44 SYP 662

37.87%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$65.6 SYP 7,974

625.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$1,775 SYP 215.7K

534.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$8.22 SYP 998

658.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$40.31 SYP 4,897

-29.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$61.1 SYP 7,420

54.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$58.4 SYP 7,100

46.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

14.25

-60.91%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baniyas: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Baniyas

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Baniyas

$146 38% 45.1% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Baniyas

$71 18.5% 43% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Baniyas

$76 19.7% 38% $46

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Baniyas

$63 16.4% 48.3% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Baniyas

$11 * 2.8% 86.8% $71

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Baniyas

$18 4.6% 74.8% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $42 in Baniyas. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $146, with Baniyas cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇾 Baniyas

🕒 Local time

04:19 4:19 AM

00:19 12:19 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

41,632

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Syrian Pound SYP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD

1,000 SYP = 7.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SYP, 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).

Syrian Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 122 SYP (1,000 SYP = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 135 SYP (1,000 SYP = 7.39 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Baniyas 7,010 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Baniyas

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 Baniyas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baniyas is about 70% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $577 in Baniyas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $42 in Baniyas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $384 in Baniyas – Baniyas is about 70% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $384 in Baniyas versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baniyas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Baniyas 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.