Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boracay and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Boracay: $772 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Boracay
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Boracay Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Boracay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$772

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Boracay and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Boracay and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $772 in Boracay versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Boracay $772
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,313 in Boracay versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Boracay $1,313
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,854 in Boracay versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Boracay $1,854
Phuket $2,867

Living in Boracay costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Boracay 43% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.73 ₱361

$4.58 ฿153

25.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.15 ₱1,206

$32.48 ฿1,086

-41.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.94 ₱374

$8.55 ฿286

-30.53%

Cappuccino

$2.37 ₱149

$2.72 ฿91.0

-12.87%

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

$0.70 ₱43.78

$0.94 ฿31.25

-25.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₱14.44

$0.49 ฿16.39

-53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$2.59 ฿86.6

-55.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱121

$3.83 ฿128

-49.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.95 ₱186

$1.74 ฿58.1

69.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ₱61.9

$1.43 ฿47.82

-31.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱56.3

$1.53 ฿51.0

-41.83%

Eggs

$1.93 ₱122

$2.17 ฿72.7

-11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 ₱323

$19.15 ฿640

-73.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 ₱301

$3.30 ฿110

44.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.28 ₱459

$11.14 ฿372

-34.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 ₱158

$2.95 ฿98.5

-14.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₱100

$1.68 ฿56.1

-5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ₱139

$2.30 ฿76.8

-3.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₱67.9

$2.13 ฿71.3

-49.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 ₱133

$1.53 ฿51.1

37.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 ₱127

$1.36 ฿45.55

48.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ₱62.5

$1.12 ฿37.44

-11.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₱35.84

$0.55 ฿18.24

3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 ₱144

$4.26 ฿142

-46.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.76 ₱489

$18.19 ฿608

-57.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱60.5

$1.74 ฿58.2

-44.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.79 ฿93.3

-37.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.09

$2.22 ฿74.1

-89.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.23 ₱707

$22.06 ฿737

-49.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱41.52

$2.91 ฿97.3

-77.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.18

$1.01 ฿33.79

-77.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$3.83 ฿128

-49.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$1.49 ฿49.85

-25.50%

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

$23.7K ₱1.5M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-11.31%

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

$22.0K ₱1.4M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-17.53%

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

$111 ₱6,979

$99.4 ฿3,321

11.54%

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

$14.23 ₱896

$11.28 ฿377

26.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.84 ₱2,131

$17.36 ฿580

94.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.95 ₱1,886

$52.3 ฿1,747

-42.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.12 ₱323

$10.85 ฿362

-52.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.26 ₱331

$7.57 ฿253

-30.52%

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

$136 ₱8,591

$558 ฿18.7K

-75.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,041 ₱506.2K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-30.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.09 ₱2,272

$62.9 ฿2,102

-42.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.21 ₱1,209

$28.58 ฿955

-32.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 ₱4,773

$96.1 ฿3,213

-21.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 ₱3,723

$88.1 ฿2,943

-32.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 ₱16.9K

$729 ฿24.4K

-63.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱10.9K

$460 ฿15.4K

-62.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ₱32.9K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-75.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 ₱38.6K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-49.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,441 ₱153.7K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-29.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$979 ₱61.7K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-60.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$229 ₱14.4K

$493 ฿16.5K

-53.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.57

21.90%

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

Last update for Boracay: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Boracay

$193 25%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 38.5% $74

Accommodation & Living

Boracay

$174 22.5%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 165% $286

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boracay

$159 20.6%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 19.4% $31

Eating Out

Boracay

$105 13.7%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 15% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Boracay

$86 11.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 44.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Boracay

$40 5.3%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 66.6% $27

Getting Around

Boracay

$14 1.8%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 178% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $268 in Boracay and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 115% 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: $19.00 in Boracay vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $268 per month, with Boracay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Boracay

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

02:59 2:59 AM

1 h behind Boracay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,296

79,308

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boracay Phuket 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Boracay
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 56% in total monthly costs ($772 vs $1,207 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 115% lower in Phuket. 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: $268 in Boracay versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $772 in Boracay versus $1,207 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 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.