Cost of Living Comparison Between Ipswich and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ipswich and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,318 in Ipswich versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,487 in Ipswich versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,657 in Ipswich versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Ipswich is roughly 85% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ipswich is 69% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.46 £15.88

$4.56 ฿150

370.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.5

$32.62 ฿1,073

229.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 £7.87

$8.90 ฿293

19.55%

Cappuccino

$5.83 £4.31

$2.80 ฿92.3

108.21%

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

$1.70 £1.26

$0.88 ฿28.96

93.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 £1.39

$0.49 ฿16.09

283.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 £5.13

$2.39 ฿78.6

190.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 £5.16

$3.71 ฿122

87.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.79 ฿58.8

-3.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.44 ฿47.43

14.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.58 ฿52.1

4.43%

Eggs

$4.45 £3.29

$2.13 ฿70.0

108.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 £9.67

$19.92 ฿655

-34.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.99 £6.65

$3.43 ฿113

162.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.62 £11.55

$11.33 ฿373

37.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 £2.43

$2.95 ฿97.0

11.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.72 ฿56.6

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 £2.03

$2.32 ฿76.5

18.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 £2.37

$2.08 ฿68.5

53.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 £1.21

$1.47 ฿48.37

11.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.36 ฿44.68

11.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.10 ฿36.15

34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.11

$0.57 ฿18.90

163.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.79 £17.60

$4.27 ฿140

457.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 £8.11

$18.42 ฿606

-40.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 £2.02

$1.87 ฿61.6

45.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 £2.72

$2.92 ฿96.1

26.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 £2.21

$2.22 ฿73.0

34.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.8 £64.2

$22.90 ฿753

278.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 £4.17

$3.03 ฿99.7

86.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 £1.52

$1.07 ฿35.34

91.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.42 £25.46

$3.93 ฿129

775.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.49 ฿49.09

26.85%

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

$38.6K £28.6K

$27.1K ฿892.5K

42.34%

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

$41.3K £30.6K

$27.5K ฿903.2K

50.55%

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

$373 £276

$103 ฿3,382

262.41%

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

$15.91 £11.77

$10.99 ฿362

44.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.73 £30.87

$17.51 ฿576

138.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.46 £25.49

$53.5 ฿1,761

-35.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.96 £5.89

$11.20 ฿368

-28.93%

Cinema Ticket

$18.38 £13.60

$7.48 ฿246

145.72%

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

$1,064 £788

$557 ฿18.3K

91.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K £15.1K

$11.9K ฿390.0K

72.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 £52.8

$64.1 ฿2,108

11.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 £41.39

$29.07 ฿957

92.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 £60.9

$96.0 ฿3,157

-14.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 £51.6

$90.3 ฿2,972

-22.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 £806

$730 ฿24.0K

49.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 £722

$500 ฿16.4K

95.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 £1,071

$2,090 ฿68.8K

-30.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 £1,158

$1,209 ฿39.8K

29.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,170 £3,825

$3,596 ฿118.3K

43.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,994 £2,955

$2,512 ฿82.7K

58.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,034 £2,245

$503 ฿16.6K

502.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.64

5.57

-16.70%

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

Last update for Ipswich: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,089 in Ipswich and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipswich pays 503% 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: $107 in Ipswich vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 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

Ipswich vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ipswich and Phuket differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($2,318 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 503% higher in Ipswich, 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: $1,089 in Ipswich versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 279% less than in Ipswich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,064 in Ipswich versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,318 in Ipswich, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ipswich. 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, Ipswich 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 85% less than in Ipswich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.