Cost of Living Comparison Between Cauayan City and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cauayan City and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $683 per month in Cauayan City vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,050 per month in Cauayan City vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,417 per month in Cauayan City vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Cauayan City is about 45% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Cauayan City and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Cauayan City 49% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.62 ₱223
$4.63 āļŋ151
-21.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$13.25 ₱817
$46.84 āļŋ1,532
-71.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.71 ₱167
$8.84 āļŋ289
-69.34%
Cappuccino
$2.28 ₱141
$3.00 āļŋ98.0
-24.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ₱20.48
$0.74 āļŋ24.25
-55.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₱18.85
$0.37 āļŋ11.95
-16.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.03 ₱63.7
$2.44 āļŋ79.8
-57.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 ₱107
$3.61 āļŋ118
-51.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 ₱104
$2.26 āļŋ73.9
-25.22%
White Bread (500g)
$1.21 ₱74.5
$1.84 āļŋ60.1
-34.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.93 ₱57.4
$2.24 āļŋ73.4
-58.48%
Eggs
$1.45 ₱89.4
$2.32 āļŋ75.7
-37.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.06 ₱312
$19.67 āļŋ643
-74.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.76 ₱232
$3.65 āļŋ119
3.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.06 ₱435
$13.10 āļŋ428
-46.11%
Apples (1kg)
$2.14 ₱132
$3.39 āļŋ111
-36.87%
Banana (1kg)
$0.77 ₱47.67
$1.64 āļŋ53.7
-53.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.08 ₱128
$2.41 āļŋ79.0
-13.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.68 ₱42.00
$2.03 āļŋ66.4
-66.50%
Potato (1kg)
$0.87 ₱53.5
$1.56 āļŋ50.9
-44.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.35 ₱83.1
$1.50 āļŋ48.94
-10.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.69 ₱42.49
$1.02 āļŋ33.50
-32.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 ₱42.41
$0.49 āļŋ16.00
40.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.55 ₱157
$4.45 āļŋ145
-42.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.90 ₱549
$18.88 āļŋ617
-52.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 ₱63.9
$1.78 āļŋ58.1
-41.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.19 ₱135
$2.75 āļŋ90.1
-20.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₱15.88
$1.40 āļŋ45.81
-81.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$11.48 āļŋ376
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.87 ₱53.7
$3.12 āļŋ102
-72.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 ₱13.50
$1.00 āļŋ32.67
-78.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.46 ₱152
$14.09 āļŋ461
-82.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 ₱71.0
$1.35 āļŋ44.19
-14.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.7K ₱1.1M
$27.2K āļŋ888.9K
-35.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.6K ₱1.3M
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
-37.33%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.1 ₱5,557
$125 āļŋ4,087
-27.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.63 ₱2,136
$13.57 āļŋ444
155.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.29 ₱1,622
$18.52 āļŋ606
41.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.18 ₱2,109
$61.5 āļŋ2,010
-44.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.36 ₱269
$16.84 āļŋ551
-74.11%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 ₱263
$9.19 āļŋ300
-53.54%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$52.2 ₱3,222
$698 āļŋ22.8K
-92.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,784 ₱110.0K
$15.6K āļŋ509.9K
-88.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.94 ₱1,662
$57.8 āļŋ1,889
-53.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.45 ₱1,323
$35.24 āļŋ1,152
-39.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$52.7 ₱3,249
$113 āļŋ3,699
-53.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$47.29 ₱2,917
$86.4 āļŋ2,825
-45.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$268 ₱16.5K
$616 āļŋ20.1K
-56.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$175 ₱10.8K
$446 āļŋ14.6K
-60.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$576 ₱35.5K
$2,048 āļŋ67.0K
-71.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$393 ₱24.2K
$1,492 āļŋ48.8K
-73.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,605 ₱160.7K
$3,779 āļŋ123.6K
-31.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,649 āļŋ86.6K
-
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$213 ₱13.1K
$524 āļŋ17.1K
-59.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.5
5.33
-15.57%

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

Last update for Cauayan City: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $268 in Cauayan City versus $616 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 146% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Cauayan City versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $164 vs $292 – making Cauayan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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
Cauayan City vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cauayan City and Phuket compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $683 in Cauayan City, $1,232 in Phuket – roughly 80% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Cauayan City compared to Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,025 per month in Cauayan City and $1,847 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Cauayan City and Phuket?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cauayan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Cauayan City or Phuket?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $683 in Cauayan City and $1,232 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Cauayan City and Phuket?
Kindergarten costs $52.2 per month in Cauayan City and $698 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cauayan City, where all-in costs run around $683, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Cauayan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Cauayan City and Phuket?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $683 in Cauayan City to $1,232 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Cauayan City or Phuket safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Cauayan City and Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Cauayan City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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