Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Iskele Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Iskele

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,962 in Iskele.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $3,018 in Iskele.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $4,073 in Iskele.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 36% less than in Iskele, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Iskele is 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$17.46 €15.35

-74.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$70.8 €62.3

-34.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$8.44 €7.42

2.49%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$3.63 €3.19

-14.88%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$2.22 €1.95

-69.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$1.30 €1.15

-71.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$3.60 €3.17

-32.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$4.38 €3.85

-13.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.68 €1.48

29.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$1.70 €1.50

7.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$2.42 €2.13

-9.92%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$4.65 €4.09

-51.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$16.93 €14.89

17.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$9.39 €8.25

-61.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$14.69 €12.92

-7.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.73 €2.40

20.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.81 €1.59

-6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$2.37 €2.08

-1.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$3.85 €3.39

-47.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.33 €1.17

20.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$1.13 €0.99

31.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$0.85 €0.75

18.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.87 €0.77

-44.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$5.73 €5.04

-22.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$9.35 €8.22

99.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$1.88 €1.65

-4.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$2.34 €2.06

19.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$2.37 €2.08

-40.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$52.4 €46.04

-78.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$8.58 €7.54

-63.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$1.93 €1.69

-46.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$21.06 €18.51

-35.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$1.63 €1.44

-19.63%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$26.1K €22.9K

4.68%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$36.4K €32.0K

-8.65%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$187 €165

-34.26%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$24.09 €21.18

-42.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$40.59 €35.68

-54.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$71.2 €62.6

-15.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$29.92 €26.30

-43.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$11.44 €10.06

-22.29%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$451 €396

52.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$7,772 €6,833

100.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$89.5 €78.7

-35.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$56.1 €49.34

-38.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$112 €98.1

3.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$108 €95.0

-21.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$1,121 €985

-44.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$805 €708

-44.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$1,832 €1,611

11.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$1,390 €1,222

8.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$3,064 €2,694

16.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$2,279 €2,003

10.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$942 €828

-46.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.34

22.81%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Iskele: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $1,121 in Iskele. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iskele pays 87% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $71.0 in Iskele for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $310 per month, with Phuket 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 Iskele: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Iskele. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Iskele. 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: $618 in Phuket versus $1,121 in Iskele. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $451 in Iskele. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Iskele. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,962 in Iskele, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Iskele. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Iskele 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Iskele. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.