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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $353 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $591 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $830 in Ismailia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 255% more expensive than in Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Ismailia 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.46 E£176

31.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$16.03 E£815

103.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$3.92 E£199

127.04%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.3

$1.09 E£55.5

156.88%

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

$0.88 ฿28.96

$0.31 E£15.96

183.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.09

$0.13 E£6.57

276.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.6

$1.36 E£69.0

75.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.02 E£103

83.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$0.89 E£45.09

101.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.43

$0.41 E£20.62

251.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.65 E£32.78

143.08%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿70.0

$1.22 E£62.0

74.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$3.84 E£195

418.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.31 E£219

-20.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿373

$7.67 E£390

47.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.57 E£79.9

87.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.54 E£27.37

218.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$0.45 E£22.71

415.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.5

$0.37 E£18.66

462.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.37

$0.27 E£13.80

444.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$0.33 E£16.97

312.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.15

$0.25 E£12.72

340.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.90

$0.18 E£9.23

216.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.03 E£103

110.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$5.80 E£295

217.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.6

$1.11 E£56.4

68.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$2.02 E£103

44.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.27 E£13.76

722.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$3.91 E£199

485.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.7

$0.41 E£20.65

639.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.34

$0.45 E£22.94

137.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$2.01 E£102

95.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.09

$0.43 E£21.86

246.51%

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

$27.1K ฿892.5K

$29.0K E£1.5M

-6.43%

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

$27.5K ฿903.2K

$16.0K E£813.8K

71.42%

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

$103 ฿3,382

$14.02 E£713

633.24%

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

$10.99 ฿362

$7.41 E£376

48.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$8.09 E£411

116.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,761

$10.40 E£529

414.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$19.59 E£996

-42.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$2.03 E£103

268.47%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$69.5 E£3,532

701.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿390.0K

$1,253 E£63.7K

845.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,108

$14.00 E£711

357.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿957

$9.70 E£493

199.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,157

$124 E£6,309

-22.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,972

$29.02 E£1,475

211.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$81.0 E£4,115

801.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$33.04 E£1,679

1412.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.8K

$127 E£6,460

1544.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$78.0 E£3,965

1450.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.3K

$491 E£25.0K

632.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.7K

$139 E£7,052

1710.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$107 E£5,424

371.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

21.33

-73.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $81.0 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 372% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $117 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 255% 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 372% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $81.0 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $69.5 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 133% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $353 in Ismailia versus $1,253 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 $353 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 255% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.