Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Byblos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Byblos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $992 in Byblos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,626 in Byblos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,261 in Byblos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than in Byblos, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Byblos 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$9.24 LBP 827.3K

-52.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$43.14 LBP 3.9M

-25.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.06 LBP 631.7K

26.49%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.08 LBP 275.2K

-5.84%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.97 LBP 87.0K

-9.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.98 LBP 87.7K

-51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.26 LBP 112.3K

48.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.61 LBP 54.6K

140.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.55 LBP 139.1K

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.16 LBP 193.0K

-2.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.78 LBP 785.9K

123.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$8.29 LBP 741.7K

-58.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$11.77 LBP 1.1M

-3.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.97 LBP 265.4K

0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.03 LBP 181.7K

-17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.99 LBP 88.4K

123.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.98 LBP 176.8K

9.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.99 LBP 88.2K

53.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.99 LBP 88.4K

35.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.99 LBP 88.3K

14.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.98 LBP 87.6K

-43.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$3.94 LBP 352.2K

384.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.56 LBP 139.8K

14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.95 LBP 174.5K

42.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.01 LBP 90.4K

120.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.98 LBP 87.8K

4.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.90 LBP 81.0K

65.56%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$22.8K LBP 2.0B

16.36%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$22.6K LBP 2.0B

19.83%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$101 LBP 9.0M

1.47%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$22.88 LBP 2.0M

-50.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$25.04 LBP 2.2M

-30.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$38.03 LBP 3.4M

36.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$39.82 LBP 3.6M

-72.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$10.08 LBP 902.2K

-23.71%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$402 LBP 36.0M

39.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$2,973 LBP 266.1M

286.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$101 LBP 9.0M

-37.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$99.8 LBP 8.9M

-70.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$121 LBP 10.8M

-18.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$149 LBP 13.3M

-40.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$294 LBP 26.3M

151.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$226 LBP 20.3M

113.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$815 LBP 72.9M

158.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$397 LBP 35.5M

209.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,340 LBP 119.9M

169.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$849 LBP 76.0M

206.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$991 LBP 88.7M

-50.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Byblos: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $294 in Byblos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Byblos pays 101% 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 $43.00 in Byblos. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $218, with Byblos 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 Byblos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Byblos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in Byblos. 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 $294 in Byblos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $402 in Byblos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Byblos – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $992 in Byblos versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Byblos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Byblos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Byblos 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 Byblos 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 Byblos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.