Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Imperia

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,701 in Imperia, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Imperia
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,701
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Imperia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Imperia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,701 in Imperia.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Imperia $1,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $2,550 in Imperia.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Imperia $2,550

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $3,400 in Imperia.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Imperia $3,400

Living in Phuket costs roughly 29% less than in Imperia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Imperia is 26% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Imperia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$13.58 €12.08
-67.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$62.6 €55.7
-48.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$11.08 €9.85
-20.94%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$1.67 €1.49
69.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$3.66 €3.26
-75.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$1.44 €1.28
-67.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$5.78 €5.14
-55.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$5.39 €4.79
-28.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Imperia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$1.75 €1.55
-1.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$2.12 €1.89
-30.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$3.52 €3.13
-57.10%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$4.14 €3.68
-47.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$12.50 €11.12
57.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$12.12 €10.78
-72.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$22.74 €20.23
-50.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$2.38 €2.12
19.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$2.31 €2.05
-26.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$3.30 €2.94
-33.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$4.17 €3.71
-50.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$2.40 €2.13
-39.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$1.72 €1.53
-19.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$1.25 €1.11
-14.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$0.53 €0.47
-3.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$7.38 €6.56
-42.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$4.65 €4.14
299.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$1.14 €1.02
56.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$2.52 €2.24
13.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Imperia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$1.89 €1.68
19.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
$55.8 €49.60
-60.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$7.80 €6.94
-61.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$2.18 €1.94
-51.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$64.9 €57.7
-94.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$2.20 €1.96
-34.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$37.0K €32.9K
-28.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$37.0K €32.9K
-27.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Imperia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$136 €121
-28.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$10.10 €8.98
9.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$29.96 €26.65
-42.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Imperia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$70.5 €62.7
-25.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
$25.55 €22.73
-56.32%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$11.23 €9.99
-30.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Imperia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$836 €744
-33.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$18.5K €16.5K
-37.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Imperia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$91.1 €81.1
-29.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$39.73 €35.34
-27.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$105 €93.0
-8.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$128 €114
-31.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Imperia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$790 €702
-6.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$627 €558
-26.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$1,690 €1,503
23.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$910 €809
31.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$2,799 €2,490
24.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$2,030 €1,806
24.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Imperia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
$1,753 €1,559
-71.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.18
75.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Imperia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Imperia
$627 35.7% $165
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Imperia
$337 25.6% $69
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Imperia
$176 40.9% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Imperia
$163 31.4% $39
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Imperia
$222 83.1% $101
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Imperia
$93 37.1% $25
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Imperia
$82 108% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $790 in Imperia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Imperia pays 250% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $63.0 in Imperia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $337 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇮🇹 Imperia
🕒 Local time
23:04 11:04 PM
18:04 6:04 PM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
41,999
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Imperia 9,430 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Imperia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Imperia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Imperia cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Imperia?
On paper, salaries run 250% lower in Imperia. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Imperia?
Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $790 in Imperia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Imperia?
Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Imperia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Imperia?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $63.0 in Imperia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Imperia?
At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,701 in Imperia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Imperia. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Imperia more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Imperia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Imperia?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Imperia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Imperia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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