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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $754 in Cotabato City versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,149 in Cotabato City versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,544 in Cotabato City versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Cotabato City costs roughly 40% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cotabato City 45% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.92 ₱307

$4.66 ฿153

5.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.52 ₱1,030

$32.22 ฿1,059

-48.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.11 ₱256

$8.68 ฿285

-52.65%

Cappuccino

$2.15 ₱134

$2.90 ฿95.3

-25.86%

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

$1.08 ₱67.6

$0.84 ฿27.75

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₱43.73

$0.49 ฿16.08

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₱70.5

$2.48 ฿81.6

-54.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₱118

$3.73 ฿123

-49.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ₱127

$1.89 ฿62.0

7.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱68.2

$1.41 ฿46.31

-22.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 ₱51.7

$1.62 ฿53.3

-48.77%

Eggs

$1.94 ₱121

$2.24 ฿73.7

-13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.87 ₱429

$19.84 ฿652

-65.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 ₱259

$3.48 ฿114

19.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.49 ₱530

$11.37 ฿374

-25.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 ₱163

$2.90 ฿95.3

-9.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 ₱70.2

$1.72 ฿56.7

-34.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ₱144

$2.27 ฿74.7

1.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ₱75.0

$2.13 ฿70.1

-43.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 ₱134

$1.47 ฿48.49

45.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 ₱217

$1.42 ฿46.69

145.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.5

$1.10 ฿36.08

8.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.37

$0.60 ฿19.66

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.55 ₱159

$4.31 ฿142

-40.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.93 ₱495

$18.60 ฿612

-57.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 ₱80.9

$1.80 ฿59.2

-27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₱99.0

$2.97 ฿97.5

-46.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.46

$2.25 ฿73.8

-88.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.14 ₱695

$23.49 ฿772

-52.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱50.9

$3.10 ฿102

-73.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.24

$1.08 ฿35.39

-78.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱118

$3.87 ฿127

-50.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₱73.1

$1.43 ฿46.93

-18.18%

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

$21.6K ₱1.3M

$27.8K ฿913.6K

-22.10%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$27.0K ฿887.2K

-29.76%

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

$108 ₱6,720

$105 ฿3,446

2.83%

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

$19.17 ₱1,195

$11.39 ฿375

68.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.98 ₱1,994

$17.54 ฿577

82.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.42 ₱2,021

$54.3 ฿1,787

-40.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.93 ₱308

$11.44 ฿376

-56.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 ₱303

$7.78 ฿256

-37.53%

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

$109 ₱6,783

$576 ฿19.0K

-81.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,655 ₱477.3K

$11.6K ฿380.8K

-33.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.37 ₱2,019

$63.6 ฿2,092

-49.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.46 ₱1,214

$29.10 ฿957

-33.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ₱4,470

$96.2 ฿3,164

-25.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.7 ₱3,845

$90.0 ฿2,960

-31.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱16.8K

$733 ฿24.1K

-63.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 ₱10.9K

$501 ฿16.5K

-65.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 ₱31.5K

$2,126 ฿69.9K

-76.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.3K

$1,252 ฿41.2K

-71.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,636 ₱164.4K

$3,534 ฿116.2K

-25.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,030 ₱64.2K

$2,622 ฿86.2K

-60.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

5.57

49.19%

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

Last update for Cotabato City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in Cotabato City and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17.00 in Cotabato City vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $275 per month, with Cotabato City 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

Cotabato City vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,131 in Cotabato City and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $269 in Cotabato City versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $754 per month in Cotabato City versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 111% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $754 in Cotabato City versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotabato City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cotabato City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cotabato City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $754 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cotabato City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cotabato City 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 Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.