Cost of Living Comparison Between Iskele and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Iskele and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,962 in Iskele versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,018 in Iskele versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,073 in Iskele versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Iskele is roughly 56% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iskele is 47% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 €15.35

$4.53 ฿153

285.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 €62.3

$46.36 ฿1,562

52.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 €7.42

$8.65 ฿291

-2.43%

Cappuccino

$3.63 €3.19

$3.09 ฿104

17.48%

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

$2.22 €1.95

$0.68 ฿22.85

226.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.15

$0.37 ฿12.41

251.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.60 €3.17

$2.42 ฿81.4

48.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 €3.85

$3.81 ฿128

14.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.48

$2.18 ฿73.4

-22.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.50

$1.82 ฿61.2

-6.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.13

$2.18 ฿73.3

11.01%

Eggs

$4.65 €4.09

$2.24 ฿75.3

107.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.93 €14.89

$19.93 ฿671

-15.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €8.25

$3.64 ฿123

157.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 €12.92

$13.56 ฿457

8.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.40

$3.29 ฿111

-17.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.59

$1.69 ฿56.8

7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 €2.08

$2.33 ฿78.6

1.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 €3.39

$2.03 ฿68.3

89.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.60 ฿53.9

-16.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.49 ฿50.4

-24.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 €0.75

$1.01 ฿34.11

-15.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.77

$0.48 ฿16.06

81.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.73 €5.04

$4.45 ฿150

28.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.35 €8.22

$18.63 ฿628

-49.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.65

$1.79 ฿60.2

5.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.06

$2.80 ฿94.2

-16.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.08

$1.42 ฿47.81

66.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.4 €46.04

$11.33 ฿382

362.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.58 €7.54

$3.09 ฿104

177.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.04 ฿35.13

85.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.06 €18.51

$13.63 ฿459

54.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.44

$1.31 ฿44.15

24.43%

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

$26.1K €22.9K

$27.3K ฿919.1K

-4.47%

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

$36.4K €32.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

9.47%

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

$187 €165

$123 ฿4,149

52.12%

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

$24.09 €21.18

$13.81 ฿465

74.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.59 €35.68

$18.52 ฿624

119.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.2 €62.6

$60.4 ฿2,034

17.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.92 €26.30

$16.80 ฿566

78.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.44 €10.06

$8.89 ฿299

28.68%

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

$451 €396

$687 ฿23.1K

-34.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,772 €6,833

$15.6K ฿523.9K

-50.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 €78.7

$57.6 ฿1,942

55.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 €49.34

$34.66 ฿1,168

61.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €98.1

$115 ฿3,872

-2.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €95.0

$84.9 ฿2,860

27.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €985

$618 ฿20.8K

81.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$805 €708

$443 ฿14.9K

81.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 €1,611

$2,047 ฿69.0K

-10.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 €1,222

$1,506 ฿50.7K

-7.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,064 €2,694

$3,568 ฿120.2K

-14.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,279 €2,003

$2,511 ฿84.6K

-9.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$942 €828

$503 ฿16.9K

87.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

5.33

-18.57%

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

Last update for Iskele: July 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,121 in Iskele and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iskele pays 87% 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: $71.0 in Iskele vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 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

Iskele vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Iskele. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Iskele, 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: $1,121 in Iskele versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $451 in Iskele versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Iskele. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,962 in Iskele, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Iskele. 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 $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Iskele 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 56% less than in Iskele. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.