Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilion and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilion and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,458 in Ilion versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,206 in Ilion versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,953 in Ilion versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Ilion is roughly 16% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ilion is 9% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.01 €12.32

$4.53 ฿153

209.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 €49.49

$46.36 ฿1,562

21.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 €7.70

$8.65 ฿291

1.27%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.61

$3.09 ฿104

32.69%

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

$1.65 €1.45

$0.68 ฿22.85

142.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.53

$0.37 ฿12.41

62.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 €4.98

$2.42 ฿81.4

133.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 €5.07

$3.81 ฿128

51.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.69

$2.18 ฿73.4

-11.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 €1.16

$1.82 ฿61.2

-27.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.47

$2.18 ฿73.3

28.90%

Eggs

$5.14 €4.52

$2.24 ฿75.3

129.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.10 €12.40

$19.93 ฿671

-29.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 €9.59

$3.64 ฿123

199.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 €13.06

$13.56 ฿457

9.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.97

$3.29 ฿111

-31.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$1.69 ฿56.8

23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 €1.32

$2.33 ฿78.6

-35.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.58 €2.27

$2.03 ฿68.3

27.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.25

$1.60 ฿53.9

-11.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.01

$1.49 ฿50.4

-22.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 €0.78

$1.01 ฿34.11

-11.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €1.00

$0.48 ฿16.06

137.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.75 €5.06

$4.45 ฿150

29.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 €7.18

$18.63 ฿628

-56.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.84

$1.79 ฿60.2

16.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.49

$2.80 ฿94.2

1.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 €1.39

$1.42 ฿47.81

11.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.58 €40.07

$11.33 ฿382

302.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.51

$3.09 ฿104

29.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.34 €9.97

$13.63 ฿459

-16.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.89

$1.31 ฿44.15

64.12%

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

$28.7K €25.2K

$27.3K ฿919.1K

5.27%

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

$25.7K €22.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-22.57%

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

$212 €187

$123 ฿4,149

72.35%

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

$27.34 €24.03

$13.81 ฿465

97.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €29.18

$18.52 ฿624

79.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.44 €41.70

$60.4 ฿2,034

-21.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.33 €23.15

$16.80 ฿566

56.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.78 €8.60

$8.89 ฿299

10.01%

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

$510 €448

$687 ฿23.1K

-25.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,439 €5,660

$15.6K ฿523.9K

-58.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.8 €82.5

$57.6 ฿1,942

62.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.25 €28.35

$34.66 ฿1,168

-6.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €88.3

$115 ฿3,872

-12.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €103

$84.9 ฿2,860

38.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 €432

$618 ฿20.8K

-20.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 €342

$443 ฿14.9K

-12.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 €672

$2,047 ฿69.0K

-62.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 €540

$1,506 ฿50.7K

-59.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,678 €3,233

$3,568 ฿120.2K

3.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,039 €2,672

$2,511 ฿84.6K

21.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,261 €1,108

$503 ฿16.9K

150.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

5.33

-9.94%

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

Last update for Ilion: July 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $492 in Ilion and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilion pays 151% 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: $56.0 in Ilion vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $292 per month, with Phuket 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

Ilion vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilion and Phuket differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,458 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 151% higher in Ilion, 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: $492 in Ilion versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $510 in Ilion versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Ilion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,458 in Ilion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ilion. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Ilion 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Ilion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.