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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $502 in Tripoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $794 in Tripoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,085 in Tripoli.

Living in Phuket is roughly 152% more expensive than Tripoli, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tripoli 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.50 LYD 28.60

4.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$18.44 LYD 117

146.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.70 LYD 23.52

127.84%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.58 LYD 3.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 LYD 4.18

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$0.48 LYD 3.05

510.42%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.48 LYD 3.08

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.12 LYD 0.76

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.98 LYD 6.23

127.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.21 LYD 1.33

771.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.23 LYD 7.85

76.42%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.45 LYD 9.25

52.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.87 LYD 30.94

305.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.25 LYD 20.64

11.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.38 LYD 66.0

30.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.19 LYD 13.92

49.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.28 LYD 8.17

25.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.78 LYD 4.95

208.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.52 LYD 3.33

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.65 LYD 4.14

135.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.56 LYD 3.58

164.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.38 LYD 2.42

160.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.22 LYD 1.40

131.82%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.28 LYD 8.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 LYD 4.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 LYD 4.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.86 LYD 11.86

137.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.29 LYD 1.85

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$21.42 LYD 136

-46.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.95 LYD 6.02

217.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.85 LYD 5.41

16.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.49 LYD 28.54

214.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.03 LYD 0.17

4433.33%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$13.9K LYD 88.2K

103.35%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.6K LYD 105.6K

98.20%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$31.84 LYD 202

282.22%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$8.02 LYD 51.0

69.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$22.67 LYD 144

-19.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$28.49 LYD 181

111.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$12.20 LYD 77.6

40.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.62 LYD 29.35

88.10%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$52.4 LYD 333

1224.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$914 LYD 5,812

1616.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$21.51 LYD 137

176.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$35.82 LYD 228

-2.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$49.76 LYD 316

130.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$55.2 LYD 351

50.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$207 LYD 1,316

196.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$123 LYD 780

256.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$393 LYD 2,496

433.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$226 LYD 1,434

569.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$248 LYD 1,574

105.28%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tripoli: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $207 in Tripoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 105% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Tripoli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $116 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 152% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 105% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $207 in Tripoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 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 152% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $502 in Tripoli versus $1,265 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 152% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.