Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cauayan City and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Cauayan City: $708 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Cauayan City, Philippines
Phuket, Thailand
Cauayan City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$708
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cauayan City 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 Cauayan City and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $708 per month in Cauayan City vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Cauayan City $708
  • Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $1,074 per month in Cauayan City vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Cauayan City $1,074
  • Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $1,440 per month in Cauayan City vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Cauayan City $1,440
  • Phuket $3,115

Cauayan City is about 45% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cauayan City and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Cauayan City 48% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.97 ₱252
$4.39 ฿148
-9.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.34 ₱1,039
$32.31 ฿1,086
-49.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.77 ₱176
$8.70 ฿293
-68.16%
Cappuccino
$1.82 ₱116
$2.72 ฿91.6
-33.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 ₱35.05
$0.93 ฿31.28
-40.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ₱21.13
$0.50 ฿16.79
-34.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.00 ₱63.8
$2.53 ฿85.1
-60.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 ₱98.4
$3.63 ฿122
-57.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 ₱104
$1.74 ฿58.5
-6.32%
White Bread (500g)
$1.15 ₱73.1
$1.45 ฿48.77
-20.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.93 ₱59.4
$1.50 ฿50.5
-38.00%
Eggs
$2.04 ₱130
$2.17 ฿73.0
-5.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.67 ₱297
$19.09 ฿642
-75.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ₱212
$3.40 ฿114
-1.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.90 ₱502
$10.90 ฿366
-27.52%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 ₱143
$2.94 ฿98.9
-23.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 ₱98.8
$1.69 ฿56.9
-8.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.38 ₱151
$2.19 ฿73.8
8.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.05 ₱66.8
$2.12 ฿71.4
-50.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.65 ₱105
$1.46 ฿49.03
13.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 ₱107
$1.37 ฿45.99
23.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.87 ₱55.5
$1.08 ฿36.17
-19.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ₱33.35
$0.55 ฿18.34
-5.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.98 ₱189
$4.43 ฿149
-32.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.57 ₱545
$18.25 ฿614
-53.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 ₱57.4
$1.77 ฿59.6
-49.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 ₱124
$2.88 ฿96.8
-32.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 ₱15.34
$1.45 ฿48.66
-83.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.29 ₱781
$54.9 ฿1,845
-77.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.76 ₱48.62
$1.51 ฿50.9
-49.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 ₱13.94
$0.78 ฿26.08
-71.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.94 ₱123
$3.84 ฿129
-49.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 ₱58.0
$1.49 ฿50.0
-38.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$26.9K ฿903.7K
-21.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.6K ₱1.2M
$26.3K ฿885.7K
-29.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 ₱8,669
$97.8 ฿3,288
39.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.33 ₱657
$11.29 ฿380
-8.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.72 ₱1,444
$17.19 ฿578
32.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.67 ₱1,950
$68.3 ฿2,297
-55.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.33 ₱339
$10.92 ฿367
-51.19%
Cinema Ticket
$4.97 ₱316
$7.43 ฿250
-33.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$131 ₱8,297
$530 ฿17.8K
-75.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.6K ₱671.7K
$18.8K ฿631.4K
-43.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.11 ₱1,787
$61.7 ฿2,073
-54.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.23 ₱1,223
$28.25 ฿950
-31.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$53.9 ₱3,427
$96.0 ฿3,228
-43.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$55.8 ₱3,547
$86.8 ฿2,919
-35.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$247 ₱15.7K
$721 ฿24.2K
-65.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$166 ₱10.5K
$509 ฿17.1K
-67.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$479 ₱30.5K
$1,950 ฿65.6K
-75.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$353 ₱22.4K
$1,397 ฿47.0K
-74.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,605 ₱165.6K
$4,192 ฿140.9K
-37.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,114 ₱70.8K
$3,298 ฿110.9K
-66.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cauayan City
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$492 ฿16.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
5.57
21.18%

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

Last update for Cauayan City: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Cauayan City
$173
Phuket
$267 54.1% $94
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cauayan City
$169
Phuket
$126 25.4% $43
Accommodation & Living
Cauayan City
$166
Phuket
$509 207% $343
Eating Out
Cauayan City
$74
Phuket
$120 62.4% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Cauayan City
$71
Phuket
$123 73.7% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Cauayan City
$41
Phuket
$83 105% $43
Getting Around
Cauayan City
$15
Phuket
$66 337% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $247 in Cauayan City versus $721 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Cauayan City versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $267 – making Cauayan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cauayan City
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
04:49 4:49 AM
03:49 3:49 AM
1 h behind Cauayan City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,616
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.57 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cauayan City Phuket 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cauayan City
  • 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
Cauayan City vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cauayan City and in Phuket compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $708 in Cauayan City, $1,294 in Phuket – Cauayan City comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Cauayan City compared to Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,062 per month in Cauayan City and $1,940 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $247 there versus $721 in Phuket.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Cauayan City and Phuket?
Kindergarten costs $131 per month in Cauayan City and $530 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 54% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Cauayan City, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Cauayan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Cauayan City or Phuket?
Families tend to lean toward Cauayan City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Cauayan City or Phuket?
For expats, Cauayan City is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 45% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Cauayan City vs other spots: cost of living compared

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