Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilford and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilford and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,005 per month in Ilford vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,949 per month in Ilford vs $2,297 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,893 per month in Ilford vs $3,329 in Phuket, rent included.

Ilford costs about 138% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Ilford sits 124% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.59 £15.30

$4.70 ฿153

338.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 £65.7

$45.37 ฿1,482

94.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 £7.96

$8.43 ฿275

26.93%

Cappuccino

$4.68 £3.48

$2.93 ฿95.6

59.73%

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

$1.51 £1.13

$0.69 ฿22.40

118.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 £0.81

$0.37 ฿11.99

194.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 £3.93

$2.41 ฿78.6

119.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.28 £4.67

$3.72 ฿122

68.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 £1.05

$2.23 ฿72.9

-36.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 £1.05

$1.83 ฿59.8

-22.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.61

$2.17 ฿70.8

Eggs

$3.62 £2.69

$2.21 ฿72.3

63.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 £6.20

$19.74 ฿645

-57.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 £6.27

$3.63 ฿119

132.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.32 £9.90

$13.53 ฿442

-1.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 £2.40

$3.28 ฿107

-1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.61 ฿52.6

-3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 £2.13

$2.41 ฿78.6

19.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 £2.16

$2.08 ฿68.1

39.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.53 ฿49.93

13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.48 ฿48.36

2.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.96

$0.99 ฿32.29

30.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 £1.04

$0.51 ฿16.67

174.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.45 £15.20

$4.41 ฿144

363.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 £6.72

$19.38 ฿633

-53.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 £2.03

$1.78 ฿58.1

53.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 £1.81

$2.71 ฿88.6

-9.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 £2.59

$1.37 ฿44.79

154.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.4

$11.39 ฿372

684.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 £4.57

$3.02 ฿98.6

103.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 £1.58

$0.99 ฿32.48

114.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.52 £21.94

$14.10 ฿461

109.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.36 ฿44.51

41.91%

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

$38.3K £28.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

35.93%

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

$38.6K £28.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

17.24%

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

$318 £236

$122 ฿3,975

160.94%

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

$16.22 £12.05

$13.57 ฿443

19.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.41 £26.32

$18.31 ฿598

93.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.63 £21.28

$60.2 ฿1,967

-52.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$20.71 £15.39

$8.69 ฿284

138.32%

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

$1,880 £1,397

$693 ฿22.6K

171.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £16.8K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

44.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 £76.3

$59.5 ฿1,944

72.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.29 £30.69

$34.77 ฿1,136

18.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 £66.9

$115 ฿3,743

-21.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 £73.4

$83.3 ฿2,720

18.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 £1,031

$613 ฿20.0K

126.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,747 £1,299

$437 ฿14.3K

299.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 £2,241

$2,094 ฿68.4K

43.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,191 £1,628

$1,509 ฿49.3K

45.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,566 £2,651

$508 ฿16.6K

601.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

5.33

2.25%

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

Last update for Ilford: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,387 in Ilford versus $613 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 602% higher in Ilford, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Ilford versus $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Ilford vs $293 in Phuket – so Ilford wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Ilford vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilford costs about 138% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,508 per month in Ilford and $1,898 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Ilford – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Ilford and $45.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Ilford at $3,005. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ilford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,265 versus $3,005 in Ilford. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ilford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.