Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Imbabah Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Imbabah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $414 in Imbabah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $668 in Imbabah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $923 in Imbabah, rent included.

Phuket costs about 198% more than Imbabah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Imbabah are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Imbabah 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.24 E£221

4.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$16.30 E£849

97.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$4.85 E£253

84.12%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$1.34 E£70.0

116.42%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.31 E£16.01

183.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.10 E£5.43

380.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$1.38 E£71.9

70.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.83 E£147

31.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$0.65 E£33.66

187.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.21 E£11.04

600.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.65 E£34.05

138.46%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.16 E£60.4

81.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$1.42 E£74.2

1279.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.15 E£164

8.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$6.72 E£350

69.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$1.59 E£82.6

87.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$0.46 E£23.85

265.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$0.38 E£19.69

481.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$0.19 E£9.65

1036.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.27 E£14.21

462.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.33 E£17.23

306.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.10 E£4.95

1030.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.20 E£10.38

175.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.70 E£88.7

150.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$1.98 E£103

864.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.27 E£66.4

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$1.90 E£99.1

46.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.20 E£10.34

1015.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$14.53 E£757

56.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.22 E£11.45

1277.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.45 E£23.40

126.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$1.91 E£99.7

103.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$0.24 E£12.53

520.83%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$32.4K E£1.7M

-17.96%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$27.5K E£1.4M

-1.78%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$13.20 E£687

676.29%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$7.09 E£369

59.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$13.48 E£702

29.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$17.70 E£922

194.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$2.85 E£148

169.82%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$22.69 E£1,182

2370.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$970 E£50.5K

1086.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$15.18 E£791

315.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$19.53 E£1,017

51.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$122 E£6,361

-19.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$53.9 E£2,806

64.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$130 E£6,744

470.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$87.2 E£4,542

453.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$223 E£11.6K

846.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$126 E£6,561

873.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$768 E£40.0K

370.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$432 E£22.5K

503.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$96.6 E£5,028

411.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

21.33

-73.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Imbabah: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $130 in Imbabah. 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 411% 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $16.00 in Imbabah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $88.0 – making Imbabah 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 Imbabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,232 in Phuket, $414 in Imbabah – roughly 198% 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 $621 in Imbabah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 213% 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 $32.00 in Phuket and $16.00 in Imbabah. 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 Imbabah, where all-in costs run around $414, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Imbabah 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 $414 in Imbabah 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 Imbabah. 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.