Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ikeja Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ikeja

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,044 in Ikeja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,666 in Ikeja, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $2,288 in Ikeja, rent included.

Phuket costs about 18% more than Ikeja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Ikeja are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Ikeja 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.55 ₦2,136

198.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$32.33 ₦44.5K

44.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.36 ₦7,385

64.93%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.13 ₦2,934

40.85%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.34 ₦463

117.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.22 ₦303

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$0.86 ₦1,185

183.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.37 ₦1,892

163.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.12 ₦2,918

6.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.20 ₦1,649

53.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.30 ₦3,171

-2.61%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.78 ₦2,445

30.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.19 ₦8,524

217.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.26 ₦5,862

-14.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$5.56 ₦7,657

135.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.47 ₦4,776

-2.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.02 ₦2,784

-18.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.12 ₦2,916

13.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.32 ₦3,189

-12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.32 ₦3,192

-32.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.00 ₦2,749

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.99 ₦2,743

-48.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.38 ₦526

28.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.31 ₦1,809

239.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$3.29 ₦4,528

473.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.64 ₦876

178.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$0.89 ₦1,220

208.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.34 ₦472

311.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$9.76 ₦13.4K

17.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.25 ₦1,722

149.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.25 ₦3,104

-55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.72 ₦6,504

198.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.42 ₦572

221.43%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.3K ₦27.9M

34.18%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.5K ₦28.3M

60.37%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$41.58 ₦57.3K

200.58%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.15 ₦14.0K

33.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$34.07 ₦46.9K

-45.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.18 ₦8,514

48.71%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$82.3 ₦113.3K

748.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$2,324 ₦3.2M

570.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$19.08 ₦26.3K

202.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$24.77 ₦34.1K

42.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$65.2 ₦89.7K

73.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$58.0 ₦79.9K

48.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$826 ₦1.1M

-25.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$611 ₦841.7K

-27.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,939 ₦2.7M

5.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,206 ₦1.7M

23.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$126 ₦173.7K

315.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.33

-67.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ikeja: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $826 in Ikeja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 315% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $32.00 in Ikeja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $191 – making Ikeja 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

Phuket vs Ikeja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 18% more than Ikeja, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,566 in Ikeja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 53% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $32.00 in Ikeja. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ikeja, where all-in costs run around $1,044, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Ikeja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ikeja costs $1,044 versus $1,232 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ikeja. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.