Cost of Living Comparison Between Boracay and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Boracay and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $785 in Boracay versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,413 in Boracay versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,041 in Boracay versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Boracay costs roughly 38% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Boracay 41% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.13 ₱193

$4.70 ฿154

-33.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.30 ₱1,314

$45.37 ฿1,483

-53.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 ₱303

$8.43 ฿276

-41.76%

Cappuccino

$2.36 ₱146

$2.93 ฿95.7

-19.45%

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

$1.23 ₱75.8

$0.69 ฿22.42

78.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₱17.46

$0.37 ฿12.00

-24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₱80.2

$2.41 ฿78.7

-46.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₱130

$3.72 ฿122

-43.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ₱108

$2.23 ฿73.0

-21.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ₱75.1

$1.83 ฿59.9

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 ₱52.4

$2.17 ฿70.9

-60.83%

Eggs

$2.64 ₱163

$2.21 ฿72.4

19.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.83 ₱483

$19.74 ฿645

-60.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 ₱266

$3.63 ฿119

18.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.49 ₱462

$13.53 ฿442

-44.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ₱184

$3.28 ฿107

-9.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 ₱90.6

$1.61 ฿52.7

-8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 ₱159

$2.41 ฿78.7

7.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 ₱88.3

$2.08 ฿68.1

-31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 ₱108

$1.53 ฿49.97

15.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 ₱162

$1.48 ฿48.41

77.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱66.1

$0.99 ฿32.32

8.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱44.01

$0.51 ฿16.68

39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 ₱235

$4.41 ฿144

-13.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 ₱491

$19.38 ฿634

-58.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₱71.2

$1.78 ฿58.1

-35.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₱121

$2.71 ฿88.7

-27.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₱22.51

$1.37 ฿44.83

-73.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱49.99

$3.02 ฿98.7

-73.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.57

$0.99 ฿32.51

-77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₱135

$14.10 ฿461

-84.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ₱77.9

$1.36 ฿44.55

-7.35%

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

$26.4K ₱1.6M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-6.50%

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

$20.5K ₱1.3M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-37.72%

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

$114 ₱7,039

$122 ฿3,978

-6.26%

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

$8.80 ₱543

$13.57 ฿444

-35.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.04 ₱2,347

$18.31 ฿599

107.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ₱3,218

$60.2 ฿1,969

-13.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.52 ₱279

$17.14 ฿560

-73.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.12 ₱254

$8.69 ฿284

-52.59%

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

$155 ₱9,537

$693 ฿22.7K

-77.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,962 ₱244.5K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-74.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.06 ₱2,842

$59.5 ฿1,946

-22.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.47 ₱1,633

$34.77 ฿1,137

-23.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ₱4,689

$115 ฿3,746

-33.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.0 ₱3,269

$83.3 ฿2,723

-36.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱16.6K

$613 ฿20.0K

-56.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱10.8K

$437 ฿14.3K

-60.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 ₱35.9K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-72.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 ₱46.8K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-49.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 ₱152.4K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

-34.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$983 ₱60.7K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-62.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$235 ₱14.5K

$508 ฿16.6K

-53.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.33

25.14%

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

Last update for Boracay: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in Boracay and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 117% 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: $21.00 in Boracay vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $293 per month, with Boracay 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

Boracay vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boracay and Phuket differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($785 vs $1,265 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Phuket earns 117% less. 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: $269 in Boracay versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $155 in Boracay versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $785 in Boracay versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boracay but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Boracay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Boracay and Phuket 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 Boracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.