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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $422 in Imbabah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $686 in Imbabah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $950 in Imbabah, rent included.

Phuket costs about 199% more than Imbabah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Imbabah are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Imbabah 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.62 E£185

25.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$15.60 E£797

198.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.73 E£242

79.07%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.51 E£77.0

100.66%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.29 E£14.57

137.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.10 E£5.05

270.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.21 E£62.0

105.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.98 E£152

22.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.60 E£30.86

263.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.19 E£9.45

900.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.67 E£34.18

228.36%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.46 E£74.6

52.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$1.45 E£74.1

1278.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.14 E£160

16.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.84 E£349

93.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.43 E£73.0

125.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.51 E£26.05

233.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.39 E£19.73

512.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.22 E£11.28

845.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.41 E£20.72

287.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.41 E£20.86

260.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.11 E£5.80

836.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.19 E£9.95

173.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$1.74 E£89.1

144.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$1.93 E£98.7

873.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.33 E£68.0

32.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.93 E£98.6

43.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.19 E£9.66

615.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$14.53 E£742

-21.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.25 E£12.82

1156.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.45 E£23.11

131.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.04 E£104

575.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.25 E£12.80

436.00%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$35.2K E£1.8M

-21.41%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$33.2K E£1.7M

2.02%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$11.33 E£578

990.82%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$5.84 E£298

131.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$10.19 E£520

83.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$22.01 E£1,124

180.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$2.87 E£147

218.47%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$24.00 E£1,226

2827.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$974 E£49.7K

1530.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$15.78 E£806

276.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$19.89 E£1,016

76.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$111 E£5,650

4.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$50.8 E£2,595

65.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$193 E£9,852

220.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$101 E£5,174

326.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$308 E£15.7K

570.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$177 E£9,034

754.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$785 E£40.1K

364.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$362 E£18.5K

625.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$94.3 E£4,814

437.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-68.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Imbabah: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $193 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 438% 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 $16.00 in Imbabah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $89.0 – 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: $1,261 in Phuket, $422 in Imbabah – roughly 199% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $633 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 229% 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 $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 $422, than in Phuket at $1,261. 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 $422 in Imbabah to $1,261 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.