Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ilsan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ilsan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,377 in Ilsan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $2,187 in Ilsan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $2,998 in Ilsan.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 8% less than in Ilsan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Ilsan is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$6.90 ₩9,591

-35.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$64.3 ₩89.4K

-45.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$6.87 ₩9,547

30.42%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$4.13 ₩5,736

-27.36%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.57 ₩2,185

-50.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.70 ₩970

-32.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$3.55 ₩4,931

-32.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$5.63 ₩7,823

-33.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.99 ₩2,767

-8.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$2.99 ₩4,151

-52.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$2.19 ₩3,040

-29.22%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.06 ₩4,250

-30.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$14.55 ₩20.2K

35.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$7.27 ₩10.1K

-52.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$10.38 ₩14.4K

6.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$7.14 ₩9,926

-59.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$3.13 ₩4,357

-46.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$5.52 ₩7,667

-58.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$6.21 ₩8,626

-66.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$3.26 ₩4,532

-54.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$2.35 ₩3,270

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.89 ₩2,629

-42.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$1.05 ₩1,453

-48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$3.10 ₩4,307

44.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$17.96 ₩25.0K

4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$2.18 ₩3,034

-15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$2.74 ₩3,805

7.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$1.04 ₩1,449

117.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$45.98 ₩63.9K

-49.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$3.44 ₩4,787

-11.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.61 ₩847

78.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$8.45 ₩11.7K

-54.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.30 ₩1,804

14.62%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$28.3K ₩39.4M

-3.11%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$27.0K ₩37.5M

1.94%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$199 ₩276.9K

-48.89%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$33.78 ₩47.0K

-66.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$18.82 ₩26.2K

-5.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$52.6 ₩73.1K

3.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$11.17 ₩15.5K

-1.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$10.43 ₩14.5K

-24.74%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$551 ₩765.6K

4.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$16.8K ₩23.3M

-30.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$53.6 ₩74.5K

21.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$31.12 ₩43.3K

-7.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$67.3 ₩93.5K

47.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$79.2 ₩110.0K

14.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$431 ₩598.7K

75.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$341 ₩473.7K

42.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$1,097 ₩1.5M

90.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$664 ₩922.8K

81.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$7,334 ₩10.2M

-51.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$5,218 ₩7.3M

-49.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$3,229 ₩4.5M

-84.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.1

35.85%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Ilsan: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $431 in Ilsan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilsan pays 543% 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: $35.00 in Phuket vs $64.0 in Ilsan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $376 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 Ilsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 543% lower in Ilsan. 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: $756 in Phuket versus $431 in Ilsan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $1,377 in Ilsan – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 99% less than in Ilsan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,377 in Ilsan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ilsan. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ilsan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ilsan 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 9% less than in Ilsan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.