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: $1,317 in Isabela versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,951 in Isabela versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,585 in Isabela versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Isabela is roughly 8% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Isabela 1% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 $11.87

$4.51 ฿147

163.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 $60.2

$46.62 ฿1,515

29.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 $7.85

$8.49 ฿276

-7.54%

Cappuccino

$3.56 $3.56

$3.08 ฿100

15.58%

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

$1.28 $1.28

$0.68 ฿22.07

88.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.36 ฿11.75

244.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.43 ฿78.8

-5.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.63 ฿118

8.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.19 ฿71.1

-9.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.81 ฿59.0

54.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.23 ฿72.5

-44.39%

Eggs

$3.03 $3.03

$2.24 ฿72.7

35.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 $8.76

$19.60 ฿637

-55.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$3.72 ฿121

81.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.50 $12.50

$13.47 ฿438

-7.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.36 ฿109

32.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.62 ฿52.5

61.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.41 ฿78.3

66.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.99 ฿64.6

101.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.53 ฿49.76

157.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.45 ฿47.19

108.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.01 ฿32.96

196.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.48 ฿15.73

302.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.07 $12.07

$4.27 ฿139

182.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 $15.44

$19.12 ฿621

-19.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.84 ฿59.7

40.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.74 ฿89.1

14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.05 ฿34.00

40.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.90 ฿452

9.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.29 ฿41.94

-28.68%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.0K ฿911.1K

28.45%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-21.19%

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

$481 $481

$122 ฿3,964

294.25%

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

$78.1 $78.1

$13.93 ฿453

460.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.8 $72.8

$18.87 ฿613

285.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 $12.17

$8.89 ฿289

36.90%

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

$465 $465

$691 ฿22.5K

-32.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K $10.6K

$16.2K ฿525.2K

-34.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.00 $45.00

$57.8 ฿1,878

-22.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$35.39 ฿1,150

56.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 $91.4

$113 ฿3,685

-19.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$83.0 ฿2,698

29.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 $1,835

$2,029 ฿66.0K

-9.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 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 8% 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 $1,976 in Isabela and $1,835 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 $465 in Isabela versus $691 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 $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,317 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 $1,223 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 8% less than in Isabela. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.