Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dipolog and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Dipolog: $776 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Dipolog, Philippines
Phuket, Thailand
Dipolog
🇵🇭 Philippines
$776
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $776 per month in Dipolog vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Dipolog $776
  • Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $1,132 per month in Dipolog vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Dipolog $1,132
  • Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $1,488 per month in Dipolog vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Dipolog $1,488
  • Phuket $3,115

Dipolog is about 40% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Dipolog and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Dipolog 43% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Dipolog
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.53 ₱97.5
$4.39 ฿148
-65.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.22 ₱1,222
$32.31 ฿1,086
-40.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.07 ₱195
$8.70 ฿293
-64.71%
Cappuccino
$1.55 ₱98.7
$2.72 ฿91.6
-43.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 ₱23.82
$0.93 ฿31.28
-60.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 ₱14.61
$0.50 ฿16.79
-54.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.09 ₱69.4
$2.53 ฿85.1
-56.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 ₱99.3
$3.63 ฿122
-57.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Dipolog
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.54 ₱98.0
$1.74 ฿58.5
-11.49%
White Bread (500g)
$0.81 ₱51.7
$1.45 ฿48.77
-44.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.81 ₱51.2
$1.50 ฿50.5
-46.00%
Eggs
$1.95 ₱124
$2.17 ฿73.0
-10.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.67 ₱297
$19.09 ฿642
-75.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.57 ₱290
$3.40 ฿114
34.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.51 ₱350
$10.90 ฿366
-49.45%
Apples (1kg)
$1.54 ₱97.9
$2.94 ฿98.9
-47.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.23 ₱78.4
$1.69 ฿56.9
-27.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.00 ₱127
$2.19 ฿73.8
-8.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.93 ₱59.3
$2.12 ฿71.4
-56.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.89 ₱120
$1.46 ฿49.03
29.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.56 ₱99.0
$1.37 ฿45.99
13.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 ₱64.3
$1.08 ฿36.17
-6.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ₱38.23
$0.55 ฿18.34
9.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.72 ₱173
$4.43 ฿149
-38.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.04 ₱257
$18.25 ฿614
-77.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 ₱72.6
$1.77 ฿59.6
-35.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱101
$2.88 ฿96.8
-44.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Dipolog
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₱16.31
$1.45 ฿48.66
-82.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.55 ₱925
$54.9 ฿1,845
-73.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.05 ₱66.5
$1.51 ฿50.9
-30.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.20 ₱12.71
$0.78 ฿26.08
-74.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.88 ₱120
$3.84 ฿129
-51.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 ₱54.1
$1.49 ฿50.0
-42.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$26.9K ฿903.7K
-21.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$26.3K ฿885.7K
-27.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dipolog
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$67.9 ₱4,317
$97.8 ฿3,288
-30.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.09 ₱514
$11.29 ฿380
-28.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.89 ₱1,519
$17.19 ฿578
38.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Dipolog
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.96 ₱2,032
$68.3 ฿2,297
-53.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.92 ฿367
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.47 ₱348
$7.43 ฿250
-26.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Dipolog
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$297 ₱18.9K
$530 ฿17.8K
-43.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,827 ₱434.1K
$18.8K ฿631.4K
-63.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Dipolog
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.0 ₱3,243
$61.7 ฿2,073
-17.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.96 ₱1,650
$28.25 ฿950
-8.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 ₱5,029
$96.0 ฿3,228
-17.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$66.8 ₱4,245
$86.8 ฿2,919
-23.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Dipolog
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$413 ₱26.3K
$721 ฿24.2K
-42.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$311 ₱19.8K
$509 ฿17.1K
-38.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$762 ₱48.4K
$1,950 ฿65.6K
-60.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$483 ₱30.7K
$1,397 ฿47.0K
-65.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,505 ₱222.9K
$4,192 ฿140.9K
-16.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,701 ₱171.7K
$3,298 ฿110.9K
-18.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Dipolog
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$236 ₱15.0K
$492 ฿16.5K
-52.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7
5.57
25.67%

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

Last update for Dipolog: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Dipolog
$311
Phuket
$509 63.4% $197
Groceries & Markets
Dipolog
$153
Phuket
$267 74.8% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Dipolog
$100
Phuket
$123 22.4% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Dipolog
$100
Phuket
$126 26.4% $26
Eating Out
Dipolog
$51
Phuket
$120 134% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Dipolog
$43
Phuket
$83 93.8% $40
Getting Around
Dipolog
$18
Phuket
$66 275% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $413 in Dipolog 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.

Salaries in Phuket are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Dipolog versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $153 vs $267 – making Dipolog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Dipolog
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
21:01 9:01 PM
20:01 8:01 PM
1 h behind Dipolog
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
130,759
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 = 71.28 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 = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Dipolog Phuket 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Dipolog
  • 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
Dipolog vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Dipolog or Phuket?
Phuket costs about 67% more than Dipolog, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Dipolog and in Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,164 per month in Dipolog and $1,940 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Dipolog or Phuket?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dipolog, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $413 there versus $721 in Phuket.
How do childcare costs compare in Dipolog and in Phuket?
Kindergarten costs $297 per month in Dipolog and $530 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Dipolog or in Phuket?
Groceries cost about 75% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Dipolog – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Dipolog or to Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Dipolog. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Dipolog vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?