Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tripoli Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tripoli

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $505 in Tripoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $810 in Tripoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,114 in Tripoli.

Living in Phuket is roughly 147% more expensive than in Tripoli, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tripoli 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.49 LYD 28.62

1.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$18.69 LYD 119

147.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.63 LYD 23.13

143.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.53 LYD 3.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 LYD 4.22

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$0.48 LYD 3.07

537.50%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.45 LYD 2.89

62.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.09 LYD 0.60

344.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.03 LYD 6.58

119.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.23 LYD 1.47

686.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.18 LYD 7.49

90.68%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.45 LYD 9.24

55.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$4.81 LYD 30.63

305.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.34 LYD 21.27

9.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.43 LYD 66.5

25.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.19 LYD 13.93

47.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.34 LYD 8.55

20.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.76 LYD 4.82

213.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.52 LYD 3.29

290.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.69 LYD 4.42

121.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.53 LYD 3.37

183.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.39 LYD 2.47

151.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.20 LYD 1.27

160.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.22 LYD 7.74

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 LYD 4.21

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 LYD 4.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.86 LYD 11.86

138.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.27 LYD 1.71

422.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$21.56 LYD 137

-45.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.95 LYD 6.04

227.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.85 LYD 5.43

22.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.56 LYD 29.05

209.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.03 LYD 0.20

4266.67%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$13.7K LYD 87.2K

103.20%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$16.4K LYD 104.4K

102.71%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$32.67 LYD 208

274.78%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.27 LYD 52.7

64.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$22.56 LYD 144

-17.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$27.55 LYD 176

119.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$11.74 LYD 74.8

44.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.49 LYD 28.62

102.00%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$52.4 LYD 334

1247.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$932 LYD 5,939

1595.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$21.40 LYD 136

173.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$35.81 LYD 228

-1.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$50.6 LYD 323

128.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$55.8 LYD 355

50.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$212 LYD 1,350

195.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$120 LYD 764

271.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$391 LYD 2,488

422.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$218 LYD 1,386

585.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$243 LYD 1,548

105.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

17.5

-69.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tripoli: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $212 in Tripoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 106% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Tripoli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $117 per month, with Tripoli cheaper across the board.

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 Tripoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tripoli is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 147% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 106% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $212 in Tripoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $52.4 in Tripoli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $505 in Tripoli versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tripoli but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tripoli the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tripoli 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 Tripoli 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 Tripoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 147% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.