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: $2,099 in Ipswich versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,167 in Ipswich versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,236 in Ipswich versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Ipswich is roughly 68% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ipswich is 57% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.42

$4.55 ฿153

355.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.4 £65.0

$46.18 ฿1,554

89.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 £8.16

$8.84 ฿298

24.10%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.56

$3.06 ฿103

56.21%

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

$1.58 £1.18

$0.73 ฿24.42

116.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 £0.81

$0.40 ฿13.40

172.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 £5.12

$2.43 ฿81.8

183.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.25 £4.65

$3.78 ฿127

65.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 £1.04

$2.26 ฿76.0

-38.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 £1.05

$1.81 ฿60.9

-22.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$2.25 ฿75.8

-35.56%

Eggs

$3.75 £2.79

$2.25 ฿75.6

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.38 £6.24

$19.51 ฿656

-57.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 £5.06

$3.65 ฿123

86.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 £9.86

$13.05 ฿439

1.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 £1.74

$3.23 ฿109

-27.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.62 ฿54.4

-17.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 £1.49

$2.38 ฿80.2

-15.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 £1.64

$2.03 ฿68.2

8.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 £1.28

$1.53 ฿51.6

13.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.50 ฿50.5

6.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 £0.66

$0.98 ฿32.93

-9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 £0.73

$0.52 ฿17.40

86.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.88 £12.56

$4.44 ฿149

280.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.56 £7.86

$18.32 ฿616

-42.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.86 ฿62.7

-4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$2.68 ฿90.2

-6.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.01

$1.41 ฿47.49

91.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.6 £65.2

$11.70 ฿394

648.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 £4.52

$3.11 ฿105

95.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 £0.83

$1.04 ฿35.08

7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.31 £24.77

$14.11 ฿475

136.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.31 ฿44.13

45.80%

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

$37.7K £28.0K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

35.44%

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

$41.4K £30.8K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

24.69%

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

$336 £250

$122 ฿4,120

174.13%

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

$14.22 £10.58

$13.59 ฿457

4.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.55 £26.44

$18.70 ฿629

90.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.0 £55.1

$60.5 ฿2,035

22.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.06 £8.23

$16.98 ฿572

-34.86%

Cinema Ticket

$13.45 £10.01

$9.07 ฿305

48.29%

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

$1,878 £1,397

$706 ฿23.8K

165.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K £16.6K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

41.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 £59.6

$58.6 ฿1,970

36.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.12 £30.59

$35.36 ฿1,190

16.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 £66.1

$115 ฿3,885

-23.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 £53.1

$83.7 ฿2,818

-14.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 £801

$626 ฿21.1K

72.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 £632

$445 ฿15.0K

90.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 £1,127

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-25.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 £1,130

$1,492 ฿50.2K

1.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,020 £3,734

$3,483 ฿117.2K

44.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,951 £2,939

$2,577 ฿86.7K

53.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,963 £2,204

$500 ฿16.8K

492.81%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Ipswich and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipswich pays 493% 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: $87.0 in Ipswich vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $245 vs $289, 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 68% in total monthly costs ($2,099 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 493% 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: $1,078 in Ipswich versus $626 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 649% less than in Ipswich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,878 in Ipswich versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,099 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 68% less than in Ipswich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.