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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $344 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $582 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $819 in Ismailia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 268% more expensive than Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$3.58 E£186

31.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$15.66 E£813

189.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.50 E£234

87.33%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$0.95 E£49.38

208.42%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.27 E£13.84

155.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.11 E£5.62

236.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.20 E£62.3

100.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.96 E£102

89.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.85 E£44.28

162.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.41 E£21.35

346.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.66 E£34.11

228.79%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.40 E£72.5

57.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$3.01 E£156

555.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.72 E£193

-2.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.78 E£404

73.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.46 E£76.0

124.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.54 E£28.01

198.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.41 E£21.36

487.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.29 E£14.90

617.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.37 E£19.45

313.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.41 E£21.39

260.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.19 E£9.75

421.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.17 E£8.61

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.63 E£84.6

170.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$5.85 E£303

231.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.02 E£53.1

74.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.95 E£101

38.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.25 E£12.93

448.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$4.04 E£210

181.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.33 E£17.19

815.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.45 E£23.58

120.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$1.94 E£101

626.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.33 E£17.32

312.12%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$30.1K E£1.6M

-6.30%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.1K E£835.7K

104.33%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$11.33 E£588

974.14%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$5.68 E£295

138.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$7.72 E£401

137.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$11.67 E£606

416.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$19.66 E£1,020

-12.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.01 E£104

332.34%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$86.9 E£4,509

698.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$1,214 E£63.0K

1192.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$12.65 E£657

370.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$10.12 E£525

243.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$107 E£5,537

7.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$49.96 E£2,593

66.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$89.7 E£4,653

583.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$39.40 E£2,045

1009.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$142 E£7,384

1372.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$88.5 E£4,591

1606.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$485 E£25.2K

672.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$133 E£6,897

1868.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$107 E£5,570

373.50%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $89.7 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 373% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 268% 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.

Phuket pays 373% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $89.7 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $86.9 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 164% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $344 in Ismailia versus $1,265 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 $344 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 268% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.