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: $2,092 in Ipswich versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,185 in Ipswich versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,279 in Ipswich versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Ipswich is roughly 65% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ipswich is 56% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 £14.97

$4.70 ฿153

328.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.0 £65.4

$45.37 ฿1,482

94.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 £8.10

$8.43 ฿275

29.30%

Cappuccino

$4.55 £3.38

$2.93 ฿95.6

55.29%

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

$1.51 £1.12

$0.69 ฿22.40

118.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 £0.78

$0.37 ฿11.99

183.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 £5.12

$2.41 ฿78.6

185.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 £4.58

$3.72 ฿122

65.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 £1.07

$2.23 ฿72.9

-35.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 £1.05

$1.83 ฿59.8

-22.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 £1.12

$2.17 ฿70.8

-30.41%

Eggs

$3.57 £2.65

$2.21 ฿72.3

61.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.51 £6.32

$19.74 ฿645

-56.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.03 £5.23

$3.63 ฿119

93.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 £9.80

$13.53 ฿442

-2.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 £1.72

$3.28 ฿107

-29.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.61 ฿52.6

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 £1.55

$2.41 ฿78.6

-13.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 £1.57

$2.08 ฿68.1

1.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.53 ฿49.93

12.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.48 ฿48.36

6.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 £0.64

$0.99 ฿32.29

-13.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 £0.71

$0.51 ฿16.67

88.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.49 £12.26

$4.41 ฿144

273.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 £7.96

$19.38 ฿633

-44.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.28

$1.78 ฿58.1

-2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 £1.79

$2.71 ฿88.6

-11.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 £2.07

$1.37 ฿44.79

102.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.4 £65.7

$11.39 ฿372

675.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.26 £4.65

$3.02 ฿98.6

107.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 £0.82

$0.99 ฿32.48

12.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.39 £24.82

$14.10 ฿461

136.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.36 ฿44.51

40.44%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

34.95%

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

$41.6K £30.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

26.53%

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

$335 £249

$122 ฿3,975

175.58%

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

$14.22 £10.57

$13.57 ฿443

4.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.95 £25.98

$18.31 ฿598

90.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 £54.7

$60.2 ฿1,967

22.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 £8.23

$17.14 ฿560

-35.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 £10.02

$8.69 ฿284

55.12%

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

$1,910 £1,420

$693 ฿22.6K

175.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K £16.6K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

42.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 £60.4

$59.5 ฿1,944

36.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.50 £30.11

$34.77 ฿1,136

16.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 £65.6

$115 ฿3,743

-22.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 £52.1

$83.3 ฿2,720

-15.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 £795

$613 ฿20.0K

74.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 £631

$437 ฿14.3K

94.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 £1,132

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-27.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,544 £1,147

$1,509 ฿49.3K

2.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,198 £3,864

$3,749 ฿122.5K

38.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,975 £2,955

$2,616 ฿85.4K

51.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,033 £2,254

$508 ฿16.6K

496.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

5.33

2.25%

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

Last update for Ipswich: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Ipswich and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipswich pays 497% 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: $88.0 in Ipswich vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $246 vs $293, with Ipswich 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

Ipswich vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ipswich and Phuket differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($2,092 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ipswich pays 497% 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: $1,069 in Ipswich versus $613 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 676% less than in Ipswich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,910 in Ipswich versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,092 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 65% less than in Ipswich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.