Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibarra and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibarra: $681 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Ibarra
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Ibarra Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Ibarra

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$681

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ibarra and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ibarra and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $681 in Ibarra versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Ibarra $681
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,128 in Ibarra versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Ibarra $1,128
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in Ibarra versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Ibarra $1,576
Phuket $2,845

Living in Ibarra costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ibarra 50% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.55 $2.55

$4.40 ฿147

-42.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.47 $25.47

$32.26 ฿1,078

-21.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.77 $5.77

$8.76 ฿293

-34.13%

Cappuccino

$2.19 $2.19

$2.83 ฿94.5

-22.61%

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

$1.08 $1.08

$0.90 ฿30.14

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 $0.54

$0.47 ฿15.56

14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.55 ฿85.2

-22.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.83 ฿128

-42.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.73 ฿57.7

-42.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.47 ฿49.11

-31.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.51 ฿50.6

-1.32%

Eggs

$2.08 $2.08

$2.17 ฿72.7

-4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$19.70 ฿658

-80.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$3.34 ฿112

67.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$11.16 ฿373

-31.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.85 ฿95.1

-28.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.70 ฿56.9

-27.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.19 ฿73.3

-42.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.86 $0.86

$2.05 ฿68.4

-58.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.45 ฿48.57

-64.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.38 ฿46.16

-25.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 $0.69

$1.07 ฿35.69

-35.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.51 ฿16.91

94.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 $2.91

$4.26 ฿142

-31.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$18.58 ฿621

-47.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.78 ฿59.7

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.85 ฿95.2

11.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$2.26 ฿75.6

-84.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.86 $17.86

$22.10 ฿738

-19.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.01 ฿101

-51.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.06 ฿35.34

45.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.90 $9.90

$3.86 ฿129

156.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.45 ฿48.45

-53.10%

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

$20.7K $20.7K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-21.42%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

6.75%

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

$28.49 $28.49

$96.4 ฿3,221

-70.44%

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

$15.03 $15.03

$11.04 ฿369

36.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.15 $18.15

$17.14 ฿573

5.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.39 $30.39

$52.2 ฿1,744

-41.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.34 $16.34

$11.16 ฿373

46.42%

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 $6.21

$7.81 ฿261

-20.49%

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

$112 $112

$556 ฿18.6K

-79.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,951 $8,951

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-22.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 $59.1

$64.2 ฿2,146

-7.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.78 $44.78

$28.69 ฿959

56.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$95.4 ฿3,187

-4.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.31 $49.31

$88.0 ฿2,940

-43.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 $223

$737 ฿24.6K

-69.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 $177

$462 ฿15.5K

-61.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 $733

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-64.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 $409

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-65.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,199 $1,199

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-65.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$770 $770

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-69.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 $612

$501 ฿16.7K

22.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

5.57

81.69%

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

Last update for Ibarra: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ibarra

$177 26%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 162% $286

Groceries & Markets

Ibarra

$176 25.9%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 52.6% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Ibarra

$110 16.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 12.9% $14

Eating Out

Ibarra

$85 12.5%

Phuket

$121 10% 43% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ibarra

$62 9.1%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 102% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Ibarra

$43 6.3%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 58.4% $25

Getting Around

Ibarra

$29 4.2%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 38.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $223 in Ibarra and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibarra pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Ibarra vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $269 per month, with Ibarra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Ibarra

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

18:36 6:36 PM

12 h ahead of Ibarra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,666

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ibarra Phuket 19,020 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Ibarra
Phuket

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

Ibarra vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibarra wins on cost – living expenses run 78% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ibarra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Ibarra, 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: $223 in Ibarra versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibarra – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $681 in Ibarra versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ibarra but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ibarra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ibarra delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $681 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ibarra hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ibarra and Phuket 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 Ibarra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.