Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iganga and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Iganga: $404 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Iganga, Uganda
Phuket, Thailand
Iganga
🇺🇬 Uganda
$404
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iganga 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 Iganga and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $404 in Iganga versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Iganga $404
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $637 in Iganga versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Iganga $637
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $870 in Iganga versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Iganga $870
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Iganga costs roughly 68% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Iganga 70% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Iganga
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.47 UGX 10.8K
$4.47 ฿151
-44.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.87 UGX 104.6K
$32.41 ฿1,092
-26.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.43 UGX 32.5K
$8.81 ฿297
-15.66%
Cappuccino
$2.47 UGX 10.8K
$2.83 ฿95.3
-12.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 UGX 1,629
$0.87 ฿29.37
-57.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 UGX 1,195
$0.49 ฿16.64
-44.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.23 UGX 5,382
$2.56 ฿86.2
-51.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 UGX 8,038
$3.68 ฿124
-50.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Iganga
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.78 UGX 3,425
$1.66 ฿55.9
-53.01%
White Bread (500g)
$0.87 UGX 3,807
$1.46 ฿49.25
-40.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 UGX 5,854
$1.50 ฿50.4
-10.67%
Eggs
$1.56 UGX 6,846
$2.09 ฿70.4
-25.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.35 UGX 19.0K
$19.07 ฿642
-77.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.54 UGX 19.9K
$3.30 ฿111
37.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.69 UGX 20.5K
$10.91 ฿368
-57.01%
Apples (1kg)
$2.03 UGX 8,894
$2.93 ฿98.7
-30.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.22 UGX 5,329
$1.69 ฿56.9
-27.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.29 UGX 5,665
$2.25 ฿75.7
-42.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.15 UGX 5,019
$2.08 ฿70.0
-44.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.23 UGX 5,371
$1.51 ฿50.9
-18.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.23 UGX 5,401
$1.38 ฿46.47
-10.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.77 UGX 3,362
$1.07 ฿35.91
-28.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 UGX 2,253
$0.52 ฿17.49
-1.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.42 UGX 10.6K
$4.20 ฿142
-42.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.12 UGX 31.2K
$18.79 ฿633
-62.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 UGX 4,705
$1.82 ฿61.4
-41.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 UGX 8,051
$2.84 ฿95.7
-35.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Iganga
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.45 ฿48.93
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$56.7 ฿1,909
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.50 UGX 2,181
$3.02 ฿102
-83.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.31 UGX 1,376
$1.02 ฿34.29
-69.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 UGX 13.3K
$3.69 ฿124
-17.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 UGX 5,887
$1.47 ฿49.70
-8.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$7,296 UGX 32.0M
$26.8K ฿902.4K
-72.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$7,304 UGX 32.0M
$26.7K ฿899.5K
-72.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iganga
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$67.4 UGX 295.1K
$96.4 ฿3,247
-30.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.43 UGX 50.1K
$11.26 ฿380
1.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.69 UGX 147.6K
$16.85 ฿568
99.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Iganga
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$67.2 ฿2,266
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.73 ฿361
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.40 UGX 32.4K
$7.50 ฿253
-1.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Iganga
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$249 UGX 1.1M
$476 ฿16.0K
-47.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,064 UGX 35.3M
$11.3K ฿379.6K
-28.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Iganga
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$13.37 UGX 58.6K
$62.4 ฿2,102
-78.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$12.76 UGX 55.9K
$28.41 ฿957
-55.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$31.18 UGX 136.6K
$94.3 ฿3,178
-66.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$42.98 UGX 188.3K
$85.8 ฿2,892
-49.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Iganga
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$716 ฿24.1K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$491 ฿16.5K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,927 ฿64.9K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,431 ฿48.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,175 ฿140.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,045 ฿102.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Iganga
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿16.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
20.75
5.57
272.53%

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

Last update for Iganga: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Iganga
$145
Phuket
$266 83.6% $121
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iganga
$113
Phuket
$124 10.6% $12
Eating Out
Iganga
$84
Phuket
$122 44.8% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Iganga
$45
Phuket
$122 170% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Iganga
$15 *
Phuket
$82 455% $67
Getting Around
Iganga
$2.1 *
Phuket
$71 3310% $69
Accommodation & Living
Iganga
- *
Phuket
$491

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24 in Iganga vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $145 vs $266 per month, with Iganga cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇬 Iganga
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
09:13 9:13 AM
13:13 1:13 PM
4 h ahead of Iganga
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
65,500
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4,380 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD). 1 EUR = 4,876 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Iganga Phuket 7,240 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Iganga
  • 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
Iganga vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Iganga cheaper than Phuket?
Iganga is about 68% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $605 in Iganga and $1,917 in Phuket 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $249 in Iganga versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Iganga or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Iganga – a meal for two runs $24 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Iganga or in Phuket?
At $404 in Iganga versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Iganga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Iganga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Iganga or in Phuket?
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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