Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ibarra Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ibarra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $678 in Ibarra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,117 in Ibarra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,557 in Ibarra.

Living in Phuket is roughly 82% more expensive than in Ibarra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Ibarra 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.58 $2.58

70.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$25.38 $25.38

27.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.67 $5.67

57.50%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.21 $2.21

31.22%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.04 $1.04

-15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.56 $0.56

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.95 $1.95

20.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.20 $2.20

69.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.94 $0.94

98.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.02 $1.02

44.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.47 $1.47

5.44%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.14 $2.14

-1.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$3.67 $3.67

433.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.47 $5.47

-37.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$7.87 $7.87

44.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.96 $1.96

52.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.23 $1.23

36.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.27 $1.27

74.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.84 $0.84

157.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.48 $0.48

216.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.03 $1.03

30.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.70 $0.70

61.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.99 $0.99

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.95 $2.95

44.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$9.81 $9.81

94.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.57 $1.57

13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.16 $3.16

-12.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.33 $0.33

575.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$15.66 $15.66

45.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.52 $1.52

99.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.51 $1.51

-32.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$10.01 $10.01

-61.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.67 $0.67

122.39%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$21.3K $21.3K

25.04%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$28.0K $28.0K

-3.51%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$28.71 $28.71

256.91%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$15.24 $15.24

-25.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$17.91 $17.91

-2.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$29.81 $29.81

74.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$18.04 $18.04

-38.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$6.88 $6.88

11.77%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$108 $108

420.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$8,868 $8,868

29.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$59.8 $59.8

5.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$45.76 $45.76

-35.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$91.5 $91.5

7.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$50.5 $50.5

75.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$227 $227

225.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$177 $177

172.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$688 $688

206.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$411 $411

198.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,206 $1,206

199.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$783 $783

232.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$599 $599

-17.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.12

-44.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Ibarra: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $227 in Ibarra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibarra pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Ibarra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $175 per month, with Ibarra 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

Phuket vs Ibarra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibarra wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ibarra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Ibarra. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $227 in Ibarra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibarra – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Ibarra versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ibarra but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ibarra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ibarra delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $678 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ibarra hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ibarra 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 Ibarra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.