Cost of Living Comparison Between Isabela and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Isabela and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,342 in Isabela versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,958 in Isabela versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,573 in Isabela versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Isabela is roughly 9% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Isabela is 0% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.79 $11.79

$4.63 ฿151

154.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.7 $59.7

$46.84 ฿1,523

27.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 $7.95

$8.84 ฿287

-10.07%

Cappuccino

$3.52 $3.52

$3.00 ฿97.4

17.33%

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

$1.22 $1.22

$0.74 ฿24.11

64.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.37 ฿11.88

245.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.44 ฿79.3

-9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$3.61 ฿117

9.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.26 ฿73.5

-15.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.84 ฿59.8

58.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.24 ฿73.0

-44.64%

Eggs

$2.98 $2.98

$2.32 ฿75.3

28.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$19.67 ฿639

-56.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$3.65 ฿119

80.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.70 $12.70

$13.10 ฿426

-3.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$3.39 ฿110

28.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.64 ฿53.4

64.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.41 ฿78.5

62.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.03 ฿66.0

98.03%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.56 ฿50.6

161.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.50 ฿48.66

105.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.02 ฿33.30

193.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.49 ฿15.91

285.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.05 $12.05

$4.45 ฿145

170.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.63 $15.63

$18.88 ฿614

-17.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.78 ฿57.7

42.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.75 ฿89.5

14.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.00 ฿32.48

49.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.30 $15.30

$14.09 ฿458

8.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.35 ฿43.93

-36.30%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

33.83%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-17.57%

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

$493 $493

$125 ฿4,063

294.30%

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

$78.2 $78.2

$13.57 ฿441

476.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$18.52 ฿602

304.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$12.15 $12.15

$9.19 ฿299

32.21%

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

$475 $475

$698 ฿22.7K

-31.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K $10.3K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-33.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.43 $46.43

$57.8 ฿1,878

-19.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$35.24 ฿1,146

56.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 $90.8

$113 ฿3,677

-19.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$86.4 ฿2,808

21.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-13.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

5.33

7.13%

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

Last update for Isabela: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $60.0 in Isabela vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $292 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

Isabela vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Isabela. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,014 in Isabela and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $475 in Isabela versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $60.0 in Isabela. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,342 in Isabela, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Isabela. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Isabela 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 9% less than in Isabela. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.