Cost of Living Comparison Between Isle of Islay and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Isle of Islay and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,333 per month in Isle of Islay vs $1,261 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,499 per month in Isle of Islay vs $2,276 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,665 per month in Isle of Islay vs $3,291 in Phuket, rent included.

Isle of Islay costs about 85% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Isle of Islay sits 75% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.50

$4.53 ฿153

357.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 £71.2

$46.36 ฿1,565

105.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 £7.52

$8.65 ฿292

16.42%

Cappuccino

$4.55 £3.40

$3.09 ฿104

47.25%

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

$2.20 £1.64

$0.68 ฿22.89

223.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 £0.98

$0.37 ฿12.44

256.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 £4.41

$2.42 ฿81.6

143.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 £4.26

$3.81 ฿129

49.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 £1.60

$2.18 ฿73.5

-1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.82 ฿61.3

-18.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 £1.84

$2.18 ฿73.5

12.84%

Eggs

$4.84 £3.62

$2.24 ฿75.4

116.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 £6.34

$19.93 ฿673

-57.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 £7.22

$3.64 ฿123

165.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.88 £11.87

$13.56 ฿458

17.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 £2.39

$3.29 ฿111

-2.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 £1.81

$1.69 ฿56.9

43.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 £1.96

$2.33 ฿78.8

12.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 £3.44

$2.03 ฿68.4

126.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 £1.65

$1.60 ฿54.0

38.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 £1.46

$1.49 ฿50.5

30.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.91

$1.01 ฿34.17

20.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 £1.54

$0.48 ฿16.09

331.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.17 £14.33

$4.45 ฿150

330.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 £8.88

$18.63 ฿629

-36.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.32

$1.79 ฿60.3

73.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 £2.18

$2.80 ฿94.4

4.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 £2.55

$1.42 ฿47.90

140.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.1 £65.9

$11.33 ฿382

677.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 £3.66

$3.09 ฿104

58.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 £1.13

$1.04 ฿35.19

45.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.03 £17.22

$13.63 ฿460

68.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.31 ฿44.23

43.51%

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

$37.7K £28.2K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

38.21%

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

$46.3K £34.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

39.35%

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

$237 £177

$123 ฿4,157

92.35%

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

$14.17 £10.59

$13.81 ฿466

2.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.79 £35.72

$18.52 ฿625

158.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.42 £34.70

$60.4 ฿2,037

-23.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 £9.69

$8.89 ฿300

45.78%

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

$1,635 £1,222

$687 ฿23.2K

138.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K £12.0K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

2.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.1 £73.4

$57.6 ฿1,945

70.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 £48.68

$34.66 ฿1,170

87.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 £103

$115 ฿3,879

19.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 £91.3

$84.9 ฿2,865

43.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 £926

$618 ฿20.8K

100.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 £744

$443 ฿15.0K

124.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 £1,529

$2,047 ฿69.1K

-0.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,730 £1,294

$1,506 ฿50.8K

14.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,975 £4,467

$3,568 ฿120.4K

67.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.33

10.69%

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

Last update for Isle of Islay: July 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,239 in Isle of Islay versus $618 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Isle of Islay versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $292 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Isle of Islay vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Isle of Islay is pricier by about 85%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,500 per month in Isle of Islay and $1,891 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Isle of Islay and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,333 in Isle of Islay and $1,261 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,261, than in Isle of Islay at $2,333. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Isle of Islay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Isle of Islay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.