Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ilmenau Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ilmenau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,106 in Ilmenau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,141 in Ilmenau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,176 in Ilmenau.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 40% less than in Ilmenau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Ilmenau is 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$15.28 €13.16

-69.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$70.5 €60.7

-35.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$7.95 €6.85

6.04%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.42 €2.94

-14.33%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$3.65 €3.14

-81.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$2.85 €2.45

-87.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$4.65 €4.00

-48.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.50 €3.01

6.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.05 €0.91

112.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.13 €0.98

61.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$3.11 €2.67

-30.23%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$3.73 €3.21

-40.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$14.46 €12.45

36.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$13.27 €11.43

-72.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$18.33 €15.78

-26.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.92 €2.52

12.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.53 €1.32

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.63 €2.27

-8.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$5.12 €4.41

-59.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.85 €0.73

80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.59 €1.37

-6.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.82 €1.57

-45.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.91 €0.79

-43.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$9.41 €8.10

-53.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$6.37 €5.48

204.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.96 €0.83

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.56 €1.34

73.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$3.51 €3.02

-60.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$62.0 €53.4

-81.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$5.58 €4.81

-45.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$2.18 €1.88

-54.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$40.21 €34.62

-64.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$2.03 €1.75

-33.00%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$31.2K €26.9K

-9.60%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.1K €30.2K

-6.17%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$443 €381

-72.52%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$30.12 €25.94

-54.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$53.7 €46.23

-65.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$39.31 €33.85

53.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$22.94 €19.75

-25.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$14.09 €12.13

-38.33%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$455 €392

52.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$11.8K €10.1K

33.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$97.2 €83.7

-38.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$32.92 €28.35

5.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$124 €107

-7.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$153 €131

-45.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$828 €713

-25.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$679 €584

-35.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,559 €1,342

34.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,241 €1,069

21.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$3,410 €2,936

-85.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.87

37.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ilmenau: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $828 in Ilmenau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilmenau pays 571% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $71.0 in Ilmenau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $319 per month, with Phuket 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 Ilmenau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Ilmenau differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $2,106 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ilmenau earns 571% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $828 in Ilmenau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $2,106 in Ilmenau – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 444% less than in Ilmenau. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,106 in Ilmenau, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ilmenau. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ilmenau 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Ilmenau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.