Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Byblos

For one person, living is cheaper in Byblos: $1,007 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Byblos
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Byblos Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Byblos

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$1,007

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Byblos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,007 in Byblos.

Phuket $1,278
Byblos $1,007

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,618 in Byblos.

Phuket $2,216
Byblos $1,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,229 in Byblos.

Phuket $3,154
Byblos $2,229

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than in Byblos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Byblos 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$9.05 LBP 809.9K

-50.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$42.63 LBP 3.8M

-23.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.97 LBP 623.5K

26.40%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.92 LBP 261.5K

-3.08%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.98 LBP 87.5K

-11.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.98 LBP 87.8K

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.21 LBP 108.1K

37.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.63 LBP 56.3K

131.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.61 LBP 143.9K

-6.83%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.14 LBP 191.7K

-2.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.96 LBP 801.6K

112.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$8.26 LBP 739.4K

-60.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.94 LBP 1.1M

-8.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.02 LBP 270.4K

-2.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.97 LBP 176.6K

-14.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.02 LBP 91.5K

120.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.95 LBP 174.3K

6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.02 LBP 91.7K

48.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.99 LBP 88.3K

39.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.97 LBP 87.0K

10.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.97 LBP 86.9K

-46.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$3.91 LBP 350.3K

380.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.55 LBP 138.5K

17.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.95 LBP 174.1K

45.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.99 LBP 88.3K

46.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.02 LBP 90.9K

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.92 LBP 82.5K

59.78%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$22.1K LBP 2.0B

21.00%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$22.5K LBP 2.0B

18.52%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$99.8 LBP 8.9M

-3.46%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$22.87 LBP 2.0M

-50.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$24.64 LBP 2.2M

-31.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$37.05 LBP 3.3M

81.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$40.44 LBP 3.6M

-73.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$9.86 LBP 882.3K

-23.94%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$398 LBP 35.6M

19.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$2,941 LBP 263.2M

282.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$101 LBP 9.0M

-38.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$100 LBP 9.0M

-71.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$122 LBP 10.9M

-22.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$149 LBP 13.3M

-42.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$300 LBP 26.9M

138.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$227 LBP 20.3M

116.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$805 LBP 72.0M

139.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$406 LBP 36.4M

252.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,354 LBP 121.2M

208.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$827 LBP 74.0M

268.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,017 LBP 91.0M

-50.61%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Byblos: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Byblos

$227 22.5% 53.8% $264

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Byblos

$218 21.7% 18.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Byblos

$147 14.6% 18.3% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Byblos

$213 21.1% 74.3% $91

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Byblos

$136 * 13.5% 11.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Byblos

$57 5.6% 31% $25

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Byblos

$9 * 0.9% 87.2% $62

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $300 in Byblos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Byblos pays about 2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $43 in Byblos. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $218, with Byblos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇧 Byblos

🕒 Local time

01:21 1:21 AM

20:21 8:21 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

20,784

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD

100,000 LBP = 1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 99,933 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Byblos 7,020 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Byblos

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 Byblos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Byblos is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $300 in Byblos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $398 in Byblos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $43 in Byblos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Byblos gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.