Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Imperia and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,701 in Imperia, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Imperia
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,701
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,701 in Imperia versus $1,208 in Phuket.

  • Imperia $1,701
  • Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,550 in Imperia versus $2,027 in Phuket.

  • Imperia $2,550
  • Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,400 in Imperia versus $2,845 in Phuket.

  • Imperia $3,400
  • Phuket $2,845

Living in Imperia is roughly 41% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Imperia is 26% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Imperia
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.58 €12.08
$4.40 ฿147
208.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.6 €55.7
$32.26 ฿1,078
94.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.08 €9.85
$8.76 ฿293
26.48%
Cappuccino
$1.67 €1.49
$2.83 ฿94.5
-40.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.66 €3.26
$0.90 ฿30.14
306.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.44 €1.28
$0.47 ฿15.56
206.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.78 €5.14
$2.55 ฿85.2
126.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.39 €4.79
$3.83 ฿128
40.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Imperia
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.73 ฿57.7
1.16%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.89
$1.47 ฿49.11
44.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.52 €3.13
$1.51 ฿50.6
133.11%
Eggs
$4.14 €3.68
$2.17 ฿72.7
90.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.50 €11.12
$19.70 ฿658
-36.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.12 €10.78
$3.34 ฿112
262.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.74 €20.23
$11.16 ฿373
103.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.38 €2.12
$2.85 ฿95.1
-16.49%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 €2.05
$1.70 ฿56.9
35.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.30 €2.94
$2.19 ฿73.3
50.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.17 €3.71
$2.05 ฿68.4
103.41%
Potato (1kg)
$2.40 €2.13
$1.45 ฿48.57
65.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.72 €1.53
$1.38 ฿46.16
24.64%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.07 ฿35.69
16.82%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 €0.47
$0.51 ฿16.91
3.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.38 €6.56
$4.26 ฿142
73.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.65 €4.14
$18.58 ฿621
-74.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.78 ฿59.7
-35.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 €2.24
$2.85 ฿95.2
-11.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Imperia
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.26 ฿75.6
-16.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.8 €49.60
$22.10 ฿738
152.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.80 €6.94
$3.01 ฿101
159.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.06 ฿35.34
105.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$64.9 €57.7
$3.86 ฿129
1581.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.45 ฿48.45
51.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.0K €32.9K
$26.3K ฿879.9K
40.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.0K €32.9K
$26.9K ฿900.4K
37.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Imperia
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 €121
$96.4 ฿3,221
40.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.10 €8.98
$11.04 ฿369
-8.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.96 €26.65
$17.14 ฿573
74.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Imperia
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.5 €62.7
$52.2 ฿1,744
35.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.55 €22.73
$11.16 ฿373
128.94%
Cinema Ticket
$11.23 €9.99
$7.81 ฿261
43.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Imperia
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$836 €744
$556 ฿18.6K
50.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.5K €16.5K
$11.6K ฿387.0K
59.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Imperia
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.1 €81.1
$64.2 ฿2,146
41.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.73 €35.34
$28.69 ฿959
38.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.0
$95.4 ฿3,187
9.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 €114
$88.0 ฿2,940
45.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Imperia
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$790 €702
$737 ฿24.6K
7.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$627 €558
$462 ฿15.5K
35.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,690 €1,503
$2,095 ฿70.0K
-19.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$910 €809
$1,201 ฿40.1K
-24.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,799 €2,490
$3,488 ฿116.6K
-19.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,030 €1,806
$2,523 ฿84.3K
-19.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Imperia
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,753 €1,559
$501 ฿16.7K
250.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.18
5.57
-42.91%

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

Last update for Imperia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Imperia
$627
Phuket
$462 26.3% $165
Groceries & Markets
Imperia
$337
Phuket
$269 20.4% $69
Eating Out
Imperia
$222
Phuket
$121 45.4% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Imperia
$176
Phuket
$125 29% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Imperia
$163
Phuket
$124 23.9% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Imperia
$93
Phuket
$68 27% $25
Getting Around
Imperia
$82
Phuket
$39 51.9% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $790 in Imperia and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Imperia pays 250% 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: $63.0 in Imperia vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Imperia
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
16:44 4:44 PM
21:44 9:44 PM
5 h ahead of Imperia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
41,999
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Imperia Phuket 9,430 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Imperia
  • 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
Imperia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Imperia?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Imperia or Phuket?
Average pay runs 250% higher in Imperia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Imperia and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $790 in Imperia versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Imperia and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Imperia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Imperia or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $63.0 in Imperia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Imperia or in Phuket?
At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,701 in Imperia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Imperia. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Imperia or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Imperia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Imperia or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Imperia 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Imperia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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