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: $1,480 in Ilion versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,238 in Ilion versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,997 in Ilion versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Ilion is roughly 17% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ilion is 10% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 €11.82

$4.56 ฿150

198.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 €48.77

$46.63 ฿1,535

20.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 €7.60

$8.47 ฿279

3.54%

Cappuccino

$3.95 €3.42

$3.03 ฿99.7

30.36%

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

$1.66 €1.44

$0.69 ฿22.69

140.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.37 ฿12.04

62.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 €5.14

$2.49 ฿81.9

138.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.05

$3.66 ฿120

59.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.65

$2.18 ฿71.8

-12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.90 ฿62.6

-30.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.41

$2.20 ฿72.4

26.36%

Eggs

$4.96 €4.30

$2.22 ฿73.2

123.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.63 €11.81

$19.99 ฿658

-31.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 €9.43

$3.66 ฿121

197.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.27 €13.24

$13.25 ฿436

15.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €1.95

$3.23 ฿106

-30.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.86

$1.70 ฿55.9

25.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.37

$2.39 ฿78.8

-33.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.25

$2.08 ฿68.4

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.59 ฿52.4

-10.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.48 ฿48.83

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.03 ฿33.90

-11.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.52 ฿17.01

119.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.72 €4.96

$4.25 ฿140

34.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 €7.20

$18.79 ฿618

-55.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.76 ฿57.8

15.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.51

$2.76 ฿90.8

4.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 €1.37

$1.36 ฿44.79

16.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.27 €40.11

$11.36 ฿374

307.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 €3.44

$3.14 ฿103

26.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.46 €9.93

$13.77 ฿453

-16.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.34 ฿44.26

58.21%

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

$29.1K €25.3K

$27.7K ฿911.1K

5.26%

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

$25.6K €22.2K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-24.41%

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

$218 €189

$124 ฿4,069

76.56%

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

$26.89 €23.31

$13.52 ฿445

98.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €28.37

$18.69 ฿615

75.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.66 €41.31

$61.8 ฿2,035

-22.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.66 €23.11

$17.25 ฿568

54.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.48 €8.22

$9.14 ฿301

3.72%

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

$511 €443

$703 ฿23.1K

-27.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,404 €5,550

$15.9K ฿522.5K

-59.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.7 €79.5

$59.5 ฿1,958

54.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.55 €28.21

$35.07 ฿1,154

-7.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.1

$115 ฿3,795

-11.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €99.8

$84.1 ฿2,767

36.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 €425

$619 ฿20.4K

-20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 €339

$433 ฿14.2K

-9.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 €684

$2,062 ฿67.9K

-61.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$613 €531

$1,511 ฿49.7K

-59.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,798 €3,292

$3,646 ฿120.0K

4.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,059 €2,651

$2,626 ฿86.4K

16.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,305 €1,131

$507 ฿16.7K

157.36%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Ilion and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilion pays 157% 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 $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $293 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 17% in total monthly costs ($1,480 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ilion pays 157% 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: $490 in Ilion versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $511 in Ilion versus $703 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 $1,480 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 17% less than in Ilion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.