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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $1,037 in Ikeja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,658 in Ikeja, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $2,280 in Ikeja, rent included.

Phuket costs about 22% more than Ikeja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Ikeja are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Ikeja 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$1.50 ₦2,041

204.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$32.81 ₦44.6K

42.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.29 ₦7,187

60.11%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.10 ₦2,852

44.29%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.33 ₦453

109.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.20 ₦272

85.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.80 ₦1,088

211.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.45 ₦1,972

152.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.19 ₦2,979

-0.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.24 ₦1,685

53.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.26 ₦3,073

-2.65%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.71 ₦2,320

29.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.22 ₦8,460

221.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.20 ₦5,716

-12.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$5.43 ₦7,380

144.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.49 ₦4,742

-7.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.05 ₦2,782

-17.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.17 ₦2,956

10.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.37 ₦3,227

-12.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.29 ₦3,114

-30.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.03 ₦2,763

-27.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.02 ₦2,745

-49.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.36 ₦483

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$1.29 ₦1,760

229.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$2.53 ₦3,445

642.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.69 ₦933

155.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$0.90 ₦1,219

206.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.31 ₦428

338.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$9.93 ₦13.5K

14.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.24 ₦1,684

153.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.16 ₦2,936

-51.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$4.60 ₦6,257

199.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.39 ₦525

243.59%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$20.1K ₦27.4M

37.50%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.8K ₦28.2M

63.04%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$41.16 ₦56.0K

200.27%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$10.23 ₦13.9K

32.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$33.71 ₦45.8K

-44.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.48 ₦8,818

41.05%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$81.9 ₦111.4K

757.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$2,268 ₦3.1M

599.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$19.03 ₦25.9K

212.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$24.91 ₦33.9K

40.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$63.6 ₦86.5K

81.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$56.5 ₦76.8K

48.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$827 ₦1.1M

-25.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$615 ₦836.0K

-29.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,930 ₦2.6M

6.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,198 ₦1.6M

26.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$73.8 ₦100.4K

586.81%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ikeja: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $827 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 587% 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 $33.00 in Ikeja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $190 – 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 22% 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 $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,555 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 54% 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 $33.00 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 $1,037, than in Phuket at $1,261. 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 $1,037 versus $1,261 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.