Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilopango and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilopango and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Ilopango versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,880 in Ilopango versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,147 in Ilopango versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Ilopango is roughly 31% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ilopango is 18% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.12 $3.12

$4.41 ฿147

-29.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.85 $45.85

$32.26 ฿1,077

42.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 $5.07

$8.93 ฿298

-43.23%

Cappuccino

$2.89 $2.89

$2.90 ฿96.6

-0.34%

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

$0.91 $0.91

$0.88 ฿29.38

3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.48 ฿16.06

93.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.35 ฿78.5

-60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$3.72 ฿124

-54.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.87 ฿62.3

74.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.47 ฿48.94

-2.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.55 ฿51.8

96.13%

Eggs

$2.94 $2.94

$2.10 ฿70.1

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$19.59 ฿654

-74.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$3.42 ฿114

73.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.38 ฿380

-11.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.98 ฿99.6

-1.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.68 ฿56.2

22.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.21 ฿73.7

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.16 ฿72.1

-8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.52 ฿50.9

30.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.34 ฿44.67

46.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.13 ฿37.67

-18.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.55 ฿18.24

78.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 $4.02

$4.26 ฿142

-5.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 $12.23

$19.09 ฿637

-35.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.78 ฿59.4

-44.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.78 ฿92.9

-29.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.23 ฿74.4

-57.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.66 $35.66

$22.74 ฿759

56.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 $6.93

$3.03 ฿101

128.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.02 ฿34.15

119.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.89 ฿130

22.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 $0.62

$1.49 ฿49.77

-58.39%

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

$20.3K $20.3K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-23.60%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-4.55%

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

$35.70 $35.70

$102 ฿3,420

-65.16%

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

$10.07 $10.07

$11.33 ฿378

-11.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.85 $39.85

$17.40 ฿581

129.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.94 $39.94

$52.1 ฿1,738

-23.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.94 $9.94

$11.07 ฿370

-10.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 $5.12

$7.69 ฿257

-33.42%

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

$107 $107

$561 ฿18.7K

-80.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,889 $1,889

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-83.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.94 $19.94

$63.0 ฿2,104

-68.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.59 $30.59

$29.52 ฿986

3.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 $73.6

$98.0 ฿3,272

-24.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 $59.8

$88.5 ฿2,954

-32.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 $663

$738 ฿24.6K

-10.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 $1,023

$482 ฿16.1K

112.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 $584

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-72.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 $624

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-49.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,715 $1,715

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-52.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$971 $971

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-62.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,001 $1,001

$494 ฿16.5K

102.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.72%

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

Last update for Ilopango: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $663 in Ilopango and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilopango pays 103% 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: $46.00 in Ilopango vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $274, with Ilopango cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ilopango vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 103% higher in Ilopango, 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: $663 in Ilopango versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $107 in Ilopango versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ilopango pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,614 in Ilopango, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ilopango. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ilopango, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ilopango 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 31% less than in Ilopango. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.