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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $729 in Irati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,194 in Irati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,659 in Irati.

Living in Phuket is roughly 68% more expensive than in Irati, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Irati 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$7.36 R$37.99

-38.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$36.59 R$189

27.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$6.42 R$33.13

32.24%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$1.32 R$6.79

133.33%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$1.00 R$5.14

-32.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.66 R$3.39

-45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$1.22 R$6.31

99.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$1.86 R$9.63

95.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$0.74 R$3.81

195.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$1.05 R$5.43

72.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$0.69 R$3.56

223.19%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$1.29 R$6.63

73.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$5.67 R$29.28

245.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.07 R$15.85

21.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$7.35 R$37.94

83.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$1.31 R$6.75

156.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$0.69 R$3.54

134.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.74 R$3.81

225.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.21 R$6.23

64.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.74 R$3.82

106.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$0.52 R$2.68

178.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.46 R$2.38

119.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.59 R$3.03

-18.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$1.93 R$9.95

121.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$7.80 R$40.26

145.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.00 R$5.18

84.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$1.47 R$7.57

86.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.92 R$4.73

54.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$37.90 R$196

-69.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.23 R$6.34

143.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.70 R$3.59

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$4.99 R$25.75

178.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.07 R$5.55

20.56%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$16.2K R$83.6K

73.15%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$23.3K R$120.4K

43.67%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$53.6 R$277

127.53%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$12.91 R$66.6

7.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$15.75 R$81.3

19.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$22.44 R$116

173.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$21.46 R$111

-21.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$6.23 R$32.16

42.70%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$267 R$1,376

159.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$5,601 R$28.9K

188.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$45.51 R$235

26.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$43.88 R$226

-19.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$81.2 R$419

39.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$52.0 R$268

59.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$311 R$1,607

94.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$212 R$1,094

111.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$586 R$3,023

246.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$433 R$2,233

245.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$1,554 R$8,022

130.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$1,104 R$5,696

134.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$515 R$2,660

-2.05%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Irati: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $311 in Irati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irati pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Irati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $136 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 68% 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.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Irati. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $311 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 223% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $267 in Irati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $729 in Irati versus $1,223 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 $729 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 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.