Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hermel

For one person, living is cheaper in Hermel: $983 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Phuket, Thailand
Hermel, Lebanon
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Hermel
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$983
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Hermel

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $983 in Hermel.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Hermel $983

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,589 in Hermel.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Hermel $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,195 in Hermel.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Hermel $2,195

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than in Hermel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Hermel 28% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Hermel
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$12.03 LBP 1.1M
-62.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$69.3 LBP 6.2M
-53.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$10.05 LBP 899.6K
-12.34%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$4.57 LBP 408.8K
-38.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$2.36 LBP 211.2K
-63.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.84 LBP 74.9K
-41.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$5.10 LBP 456.1K
-49.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$4.80 LBP 429.8K
-23.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Hermel
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.94 LBP 173.7K
-14.43%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$0.92 LBP 82.1K
58.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$2.25 LBP 200.9K
-33.33%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$3.47 LBP 310.7K
-39.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$11.15 LBP 998.2K
71.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$10.57 LBP 946.1K
-68.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$14.76 LBP 1.3M
-26.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$3.15 LBP 281.9K
-6.98%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.70 LBP 152.4K
-0.59%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.66 LBP 148.7K
35.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$1.48 LBP 132.4K
40.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.22 LBP 108.8K
23.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$1.59 LBP 142.2K
-13.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$1.17 LBP 104.7K
-8.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.72 LBP 64.4K
-27.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$3.08 LBP 275.8K
36.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$10.90 LBP 975.3K
72.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.28 LBP 114.9K
42.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$2.57 LBP 230.3K
10.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Hermel
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$4.88 LBP 436.7K
-38.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$2.27 LBP 203.3K
-55.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$22.45 LBP 2.0M
-83.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.04 LBP 93.5K
41.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$52.8K LBP 4.7B
-49.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$32.3K LBP 2.9B
-17.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Hermel
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$210 LBP 18.8M
-54.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$23.23 LBP 2.1M
-51.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$38.41 LBP 3.4M
-56.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Hermel
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$9.98 LBP 893.4K
-24.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Hermel
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$670 LBP 59.9M
-28.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$10.5K LBP 943.4M
6.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Hermel
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$67.6 LBP 6.1M
-7.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$50.1 LBP 4.5M
-43.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$140 LBP 12.5M
-32.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$122 LBP 10.9M
-29.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Hermel
Difference
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 ฿65.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Hermel
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11
-49.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hermel: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Hermel
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Hermel
$276 3.5% $9.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Hermel
$271 118% $147
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Hermel
$171 40.2% $49
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Hermel
$229 88.2% $107
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Hermel
$20 * 75.7% $62
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Hermel
$16 * 77% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $69 in Hermel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $276 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇱🇧 Hermel
🕒 Local time
01:21 1:21 AM
20:21 8:21 PM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
22,250
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Hermel 6,950 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Hermel

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 Hermel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Hermel?
Hermel wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Hermel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Hermel?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,474 in Hermel 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.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Hermel?
Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Hermel?
All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $983 in Hermel – Hermel is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Phuket or in Hermel?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Hermel is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Hermel?
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.

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