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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $425 in Imbabah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $671 in Imbabah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $918 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 5% lower, Imbabah 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.52 E£177

27.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$15.64 E£787

191.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.66 E£234

87.98%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.43 E£71.8

107.69%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.29 E£14.45

137.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.12 E£6.16

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.17 E£58.9

116.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.00 E£151

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.65 E£32.54

230.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.22 E£11.13

727.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.66 E£33.39

230.30%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.40 E£70.3

60.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$1.44 E£72.6

1288.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.08 E£155

17.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$6.76 E£340

100.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.41 E£71.1

129.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.50 E£25.23

228.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.39 E£19.61

497.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.17 E£8.65

1117.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.37 E£18.82

318.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.41 E£20.54

256.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.09 E£4.31

988.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.18 E£8.93

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$1.77 E£88.9

145.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$1.96 E£98.4

847.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.38 E£69.5

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.00 E£100

32.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.17 E£8.64

735.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$14.86 E£747

-22.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.23 E£11.47

1278.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.42 E£21.28

145.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.00 E£100

594.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.25 E£12.61

436.00%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$35.6K E£1.8M

-21.83%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$32.7K E£1.6M

1.94%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$11.28 E£567

990.87%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$5.87 E£295

134.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$10.21 E£514

79.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$22.14 E£1,113

174.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$2.93 E£147

202.73%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$23.81 E£1,198

2789.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$970 E£48.8K

1527.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$15.92 E£801

272.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$19.58 E£985

77.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$111 E£5,565

4.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$51.3 E£2,579

63.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$191 E£9,583

226.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$100 E£5,053

343.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$306 E£15.4K

563.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$179 E£9,014

734.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$801 E£40.3K

331.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$457 E£23.0K

453.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$100 E£5,046

392.05%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Imbabah: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $191 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 392% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $16.00 in Imbabah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 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: $1,264 in Phuket, $425 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 $1,896 per month in Phuket and $637 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 228% 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 $46.00 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 $425, than in Phuket at $1,264. 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 $425 in Imbabah to $1,264 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.