Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ilheus Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ilheus

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $675 in Ilheus, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,100 in Ilheus, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,525 in Ilheus, rent included.

Phuket costs about 82% more than Ilheus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Ilheus are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Ilheus 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.90 R$19.45

18.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$27.45 R$137

70.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.32 R$31.55

39.87%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.77 R$8.85

69.49%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.12 R$5.60

-33.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.67 R$3.33

-44.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.82 R$9.09

34.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.65 R$13.23

36.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.01 R$5.06

123.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.46 R$7.29

26.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.13 R$5.64

98.23%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.02 R$10.06

14.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$17.42 R$86.9

12.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.56 R$17.77

2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.40 R$36.92

77.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.08 R$10.37

62.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.31 R$6.52

25.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.14 R$5.71

111.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.44 R$7.18

40.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.19 R$5.96

31.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.05 R$5.26

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.70 R$3.51

45.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.67 R$3.33

-26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.07 R$10.33

114.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.47 R$37.30

152.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.25 R$6.26

42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.09 R$10.42

31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.87 R$4.32

60.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$38.55 R$192

-70.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.07 R$5.33

191.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.75 R$3.75

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.45 R$32.21

118.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.99 R$4.95

36.36%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.9K R$104.5K

29.80%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.4K R$136.9K

20.01%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$59.9 R$299

108.75%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.29 R$66.3

2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$19.01 R$94.8

-2.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$22.62 R$113

171.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$21.30 R$106

-20.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.21 R$31.01

47.99%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$269 R$1,344

159.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,575 R$32.8K

137.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$48.57 R$242

18.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$42.12 R$210

-16.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$76.7 R$383

47.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$64.6 R$322

33.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$167 R$831

269.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$115 R$574

287.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$312 R$1,557

556.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$222 R$1,106

573.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,676 R$8,362

125.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,178 R$5,876

124.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.92

-51.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ilheus: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $167 in Ilheus. 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $27.00 in Ilheus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $202 – making Ilheus 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 Ilheus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,232 in Phuket, $675 in Ilheus – roughly 82% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,013 in Ilheus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 45% 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 $27.00 in Ilheus. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ilheus, where all-in costs run around $675, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Ilheus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $675 in Ilheus to $1,232 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Ilheus. 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.