Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Irati Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Irati

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $716 in Irati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,165 in Irati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,615 in Irati.

Living in Phuket is roughly 72% more expensive than Irati, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Irati 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.23 R$36.07

-35.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$36.42 R$182

28.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.18 R$30.82

43.04%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.36 R$6.78

120.59%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.99 R$4.92

-25.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.66 R$3.30

-43.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.24 R$6.18

96.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.83 R$9.14

97.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.69 R$3.43

227.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.06 R$5.29

73.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.67 R$3.32

234.33%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.22 R$6.07

90.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.60 R$27.94

251.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.14 R$15.65

16.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.23 R$36.09

81.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.36 R$6.81

149.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.70 R$3.47

134.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.75 R$3.73

221.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.20 R$6.00

69.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.74 R$3.69

110.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.55 R$2.76

172.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.46 R$2.28

121.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.59 R$2.93

-16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.01 R$10.03

121.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.98 R$39.84

136.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.99 R$4.94

79.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.45 R$7.24

89.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.94 R$4.68

48.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$38.32 R$191

-70.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.29 R$6.46

141.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.65 R$3.25

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.92 R$24.55

186.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.05 R$5.22

28.57%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$16.7K R$83.2K

63.02%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.4K R$116.8K

40.62%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$53.9 R$269

131.96%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$12.98 R$64.8

4.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$16.21 R$80.9

14.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$22.63 R$113

171.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$21.72 R$108

-22.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.40 R$31.94

43.59%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$274 R$1,369

154.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$5,631 R$28.1K

176.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$45.87 R$229

25.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$42.99 R$215

-18.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$80.6 R$402

40.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$52.3 R$261

65.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$313 R$1,561

96.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$216 R$1,077

106.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$583 R$2,907

251.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$437 R$2,178

241.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,675 R$8,357

125.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,176 R$5,867

125.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$515 R$2,569

1.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.2

-47.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Irati: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $313 in Irati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Irati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $135 per month, with Irati 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 Irati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irati wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irati the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 2% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $313 in Irati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Irati runs roughly 234% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $274 in Irati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $716 in Irati versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irati but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Irati the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Irati delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Irati hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Irati 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 Irati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.