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 $2,314 per month in Isle of Islay vs $1,247 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,486 per month in Isle of Islay vs $2,276 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,658 per month in Isle of Islay vs $3,306 in Phuket, rent included.

Isle of Islay costs about 86% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Isle of Islay sits 72% above the global median, while Phuket is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 £15.30

$4.59 ฿147

351.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.0 £70.2

$46.83 ฿1,500

102.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 £7.68

$8.70 ฿279

19.43%

Cappuccino

$4.41 £3.26

$2.92 ฿93.7

51.03%

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

$2.22 £1.64

$0.68 ฿21.90

226.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 £0.98

$0.40 ฿12.69

230.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 £4.23

$2.51 ฿80.3

127.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 £4.30

$3.80 ฿122

53.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.54

$2.16 ฿69.2

-3.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.88 ฿60.3

-20.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 £1.84

$2.16 ฿69.1

15.28%

Eggs

$4.72 £3.49

$2.22 ฿71.1

112.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.04 £5.94

$19.57 ฿627

-58.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 £7.06

$3.80 ฿122

151.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 £11.62

$13.41 ฿430

17.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.29

$3.26 ฿104

-5.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 £1.80

$1.61 ฿51.6

51.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 £2.00

$2.31 ฿73.9

17.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 £3.41

$2.06 ฿65.9

123.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 £1.60

$1.61 ฿51.4

34.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 £1.38

$1.44 ฿46.23

29.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.93

$1.03 ฿32.99

22.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 £1.55

$0.48 ฿15.38

337.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.10 £14.12

$4.50 ฿144

324.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.11 £8.95

$19.18 ฿614

-36.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.34

$1.82 ฿58.4

74.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 £2.19

$2.69 ฿86.2

10.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 £2.52

$1.38 ฿44.13

147.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 £65.3

$11.76 ฿377

650.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 £3.59

$3.11 ฿99.5

55.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.13

$1.00 ฿32.16

53.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.37 £17.27

$13.74 ฿440

70.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.39

$1.30 ฿41.58

45.38%

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

$38.6K £28.5K

$27.4K ฿876.5K

40.96%

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

$47.8K £35.3K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

44.84%

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

$236 £175

$125 ฿4,001

89.37%

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

$14.48 £10.70

$13.74 ฿440

5.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.06 £34.78

$18.61 ฿596

152.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.24 £34.17

$60.6 ฿1,940

-23.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿549

Cinema Ticket

$12.71 £9.40

$9.01 ฿289

41.07%

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

$1,602 £1,184

$698 ฿22.4K

129.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K £11.9K

$16.1K ฿516.2K

0.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 £72.1

$59.2 ฿1,897

64.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.8 £48.62

$34.86 ฿1,117

88.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 £102

$114 ฿3,659

20.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 £88.7

$85.8 ฿2,749

39.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 £909

$619 ฿19.8K

98.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 £742

$437 ฿14.0K

129.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 £1,494

$2,075 ฿66.5K

-2.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 £1,253

$1,509 ฿48.4K

12.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

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: April 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,230 in Isle of Islay versus $619 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 in Isle of Islay versus $47 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 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 86%, 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 $3,472 per month in Isle of Islay and $1,870 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 $47.00 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 $2,314 in Isle of Islay and $1,247 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 $1,247, than in Isle of Islay at $2,314. 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.