Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ishim Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ishim

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,066 in Ishim, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,620 in Ishim, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $2,175 in Ishim, rent included.

Phuket costs about 19% more than Ishim, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Ishim are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Ishim 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$9.96 ₽727

-52.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$35.56 ₽2,595

27.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$8.73 ₽638

-3.44%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.66 ₽194

10.15%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.99 ₽72.4

-30.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.58 ₽42.50

-36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.10 ₽80.1

119.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.86 ₽136

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.10 ₽80.2

102.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.63 ₽45.65

190.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.26 ₽91.9

72.22%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.67 ₽122

32.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.64 ₽777

85.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.16 ₽304

-12.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.22 ₽892

10.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.63 ₽119

101.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.82 ₽133

-11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.71 ₽125

40.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.29 ₽167

-9.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.95 ₽69.6

61.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.67 ₽48.58

120.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.06 ₽77.7

-6.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.74 ₽54.0

-31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.92 ₽213

51.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.82 ₽571

147.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.02 ₽74.5

74.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.24 ₽90.8

118.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.53 ₽39.01

158.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.92 ₽213

3.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.22 ₽16.05

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.18 ₽451

128.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.76 ₽55.5

78.95%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$25.4K ₽1.9M

11.06%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.2K ₽1.7M

41.89%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$157 ₽11.4K

-22.36%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$5.02 ₽367

170.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$10.38 ₽758

76.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$35.17 ₽2,567

71.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.46 ₽325

94.84%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$177 ₽12.9K

292.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$8,362 ₽610.4K

87.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$97.2 ₽7,095

-38.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$45.48 ₽3,319

-23.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$151 ₽11.0K

-23.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$162 ₽11.8K

-48.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$447 ₽32.6K

37.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$309 ₽22.6K

41.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$751 ₽54.8K

178.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$513 ₽37.4K

194.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,461 ₽179.7K

52.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,796 ₽131.1K

45.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

22.38

-76.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ishim: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $447 in Ishim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $36.00 in Ishim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $196 – making Ishim 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 Ishim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 19%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,598 in Ishim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ishim, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket and $36.00 in Ishim. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ishim, where all-in costs run around $1,066, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Ishim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ishim – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Ishim. 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.