Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ismailia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ismailia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $348 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $598 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $847 in Ismailia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 259% more expensive than in Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ismailia 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.50 E£179

30.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$15.57 E£795

196.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.49 E£229

96.88%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.01 E£51.6

202.97%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.29 E£14.81

151.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.09 E£4.83

344.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.20 E£61.5

102.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.99 E£102

89.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.82 E£41.71

175.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.39 E£19.89

364.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.61 E£31.35

268.85%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.40 E£71.6

60.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$3.00 E£153

550.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.61 E£184

1.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.14 E£415

60.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.43 E£73.0

125.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.58 E£29.74

179.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.39 E£19.80

510.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.29 E£14.68

600.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.38 E£19.36

302.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.39 E£19.88

284.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.21 E£10.78

366.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.17 E£8.84

205.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.64 E£83.7

170.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.01 E£307

204.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.02 E£51.9

82.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.02 E£103

32.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.27 E£13.81

422.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$4.01 E£205

191.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.31 E£15.63

903.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.43 E£21.92

141.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.02 E£103

598.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.33 E£17.03

296.97%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$30.0K E£1.5M

-7.25%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$16.0K E£815.9K

107.82%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$11.32 E£578

981.63%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$5.73 E£292

137.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$7.68 E£392

143.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$12.00 E£613

404.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$19.86 E£1,014

-14.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.01 E£103

351.24%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$89.2 E£4,553

692.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$1,243 E£63.5K

1171.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$12.72 E£649

360.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$9.69 E£495

264.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$107 E£5,451

8.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$50.6 E£2,581

65.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$89.2 E£4,553

601.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$40.26 E£2,055

1005.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$146 E£7,430

1301.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$87.8 E£4,480

1600.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$505 E£25.8K

589.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$138 E£7,034

1769.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$109 E£5,567

358.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-68.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $89.2 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 358% 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 $16.00 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $111 per month, with Ismailia 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 Ismailia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ismailia wins on cost – living expenses run 259% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ismailia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 358% higher in Phuket, 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: $626 in Phuket versus $89.2 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $89.2 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 160% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $348 in Ismailia versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ismailia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ismailia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ismailia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $348 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ismailia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ismailia 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 Ismailia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 259% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.