Cost of Living Comparison Between Imperia and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Imperia and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,745 in Imperia versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,610 in Imperia versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,474 in Imperia versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Imperia is roughly 39% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Imperia is 27% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.70 €11.79

$4.56 ฿150

200.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$32.62 ฿1,072

97.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.49 €9.89

$8.90 ฿293

29.10%

Cappuccino

$1.80 €1.55

$2.80 ฿92.2

-35.71%

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

$3.67 €3.16

$0.88 ฿28.93

317.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.49 ฿16.08

191.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 €5.06

$2.39 ฿78.5

146.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 €4.68

$3.71 ฿122

46.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.79 ฿58.7

2.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.44 ฿47.38

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 €3.35

$1.58 ฿52.1

146.20%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.61

$2.13 ฿69.9

97.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.62 €10.86

$19.92 ฿655

-36.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.75 €10.97

$3.43 ฿113

271.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.34 €20.08

$11.33 ฿372

106.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.95 ฿96.9

-13.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.12

$1.72 ฿56.6

43.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 €3.04

$2.32 ฿76.4

52.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 €3.86

$2.08 ฿68.4

115.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.47 ฿48.33

67.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.36 ฿44.64

26.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.10 ฿36.12

19.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.51

$0.57 ฿18.89

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.64 €6.57

$4.27 ฿140

78.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.91 €4.22

$18.42 ฿605

-73.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.87 ฿61.5

-39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.14

$2.92 ฿96.0

-14.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.67

$2.22 ฿72.9

-12.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.5 €50.4

$22.90 ฿753

155.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 €6.92

$3.03 ฿99.6

165.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.07 ฿35.31

112.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.8 €55.8

$3.93 ฿129

1549.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.49 ฿49.04

38.93%

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

$37.7K €32.4K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

38.81%

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

$37.3K €32.1K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

36.04%

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

$137 €118

$103 ฿3,379

33.31%

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

$10.64 €9.16

$10.99 ฿361

-3.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.30 €26.08

$17.51 ฿576

73.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.2 €63.0

$53.5 ฿1,760

36.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.80 €22.20

$11.20 ฿368

130.36%

Cinema Ticket

$12.15 €10.45

$7.48 ฿246

62.43%

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

$872 €750

$557 ฿18.3K

56.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K €17.1K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

67.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €79.1

$64.1 ฿2,106

43.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.47

$29.07 ฿956

41.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €96.4

$96.0 ฿3,154

16.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €114

$90.3 ฿2,970

46.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 €699

$730 ฿24.0K

11.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 €541

$500 ฿16.4K

25.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 €1,511

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-16.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$921 €792

$1,209 ฿39.7K

-23.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,917 €2,510

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-18.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,110 €1,815

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-16.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,810 €1,557

$503 ฿16.5K

259.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.17

5.57

-43.09%

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

Last update for Imperia: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $812 in Imperia and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Imperia pays 260% 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: $64.0 in Imperia vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $273 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

Imperia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 260% higher in Imperia, 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: $812 in Imperia versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Imperia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $64.0 in Imperia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,745 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Imperia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.