Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davao and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Davao: $839 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Davao
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Davao Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$839

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $839 in Davao versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Davao $839
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,275 in Davao versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Davao $1,275
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,712 in Davao versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Davao $1,712
Phuket $3,154

Living in Davao costs roughly 34% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Davao 38% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.71 ₱300

$4.47 ฿151

5.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.33 ₱1,677

$32.41 ฿1,094

-18.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.83 ₱244

$8.81 ฿297

-56.53%

Cappuccino

$2.53 ₱161

$2.83 ฿95.4

-10.60%

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

$1.06 ₱67.5

$0.87 ฿29.42

21.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₱39.75

$0.49 ฿16.66

26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 ₱97.3

$2.56 ฿86.3

-40.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₱151

$3.68 ฿124

-35.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 ₱125

$1.66 ฿56.0

18.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 ₱68.2

$1.46 ฿49.32

-26.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ₱58.1

$1.50 ฿50.5

-39.33%

Eggs

$1.84 ₱117

$2.09 ฿70.5

-11.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱408

$19.07 ฿643

-66.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 ₱293

$3.30 ฿111

39.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 ₱572

$10.91 ฿368

-17.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 ₱171

$2.93 ฿98.9

-8.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.5

$1.69 ฿57.0

-37.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 ₱155

$2.25 ฿75.8

8.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱72.5

$2.08 ฿70.1

-45.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 ₱126

$1.51 ฿51.0

31.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 ₱214

$1.38 ฿46.54

142.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ₱78.9

$1.07 ฿35.97

15.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₱45.16

$0.52 ฿17.51

36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₱157

$4.20 ฿142

-41.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 ₱509

$18.79 ฿634

-57.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.7

$1.82 ฿61.5

-30.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₱101

$2.84 ฿95.9

-44.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$1.45 ฿49.00

-85.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.16 ₱838

$56.7 ฿1,912

-76.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.5

$3.02 ฿102

-73.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.37

$1.02 ฿34.34

-76.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ₱117

$3.69 ฿125

-50.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₱77.4

$1.47 ฿49.78

-17.01%

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

$21.3K ₱1.4M

$26.8K ฿903.7K

-20.32%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-28.64%

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

$105 ₱6,681

$96.4 ฿3,252

8.87%

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

$19.14 ₱1,219

$11.26 ฿380

69.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.17 ₱1,921

$16.85 ฿569

79.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.37 ₱2,189

$67.2 ฿2,269

-48.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.44 ₱219

$10.73 ฿362

-67.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 ₱303

$7.50 ฿253

-36.67%

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

$104 ₱6,643

$476 ฿16.1K

-78.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,536 ₱480.0K

$11.3K ฿380.1K

-33.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.0 ₱3,888

$62.4 ฿2,105

-2.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.74 ₱1,958

$28.41 ฿959

8.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 ₱4,438

$94.3 ฿3,182

-26.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.1 ₱3,827

$85.8 ฿2,896

-29.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.3K

$716 ฿24.2K

-51.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ₱14.6K

$491 ฿16.6K

-53.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 ₱46.0K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-62.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 ₱25.7K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-71.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,584 ₱100.9K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-62.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 ₱86.9K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-55.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$207 ₱13.2K

$502 ฿17.0K

-58.78%

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 Davao: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Davao

$229 27.3%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 114% $262

Groceries & Markets

Davao

$197 23.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 35% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davao

$154 18.4%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 19.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Davao

$100 11.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 22.3% $22

Eating Out

Davao

$99 11.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 23.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Davao

$44 5.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 87.4% $38

Getting Around

Davao

$16 1.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 341% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $350 in Davao and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $26 in Davao vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $266 per month, with Davao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Davao

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:41 2:41 PM

13:41 1:41 PM

1 h behind Davao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,632,991

79,308

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Davao Phuket 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Davao
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

Davao vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Davao is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Davao. 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: $350 in Davao versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Davao – a meal for two runs $26 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $839 per month in Davao versus $1,278 in Phuket – Davao is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $839 in Davao versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Davao but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Davao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Davao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Davao and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Davao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.