Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Nido and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $730 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$730

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $730 per month in El Nido vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

El Nido $730
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,156 per month in El Nido vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

El Nido $1,156
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,582 per month in El Nido vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

El Nido $1,582
Phuket $3,154

El Nido is about 43% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both El Nido and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – El Nido 46% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 ₱247

$4.47 ฿151

-13.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.35 ₱1,939

$32.41 ฿1,094

-6.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.60 ₱230

$8.81 ฿297

-59.14%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₱140

$2.83 ฿95.5

-22.61%

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

$1.14 ₱73.1

$0.87 ฿29.43

31.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₱20.08

$0.49 ฿16.67

-36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ₱78.5

$2.56 ฿86.4

-51.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₱119

$3.68 ฿124

-49.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ₱118

$1.66 ฿56.0

10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₱65.3

$1.46 ฿49.35

-30.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 ₱80.9

$1.50 ฿50.6

-15.33%

Eggs

$1.85 ₱118

$2.09 ฿70.5

-11.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.93 ₱379

$19.07 ฿644

-68.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 ₱248

$3.30 ฿111

17.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.76 ₱432

$10.91 ฿368

-38.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ₱147

$2.93 ฿99.0

-21.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ₱103

$1.69 ฿57.1

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱144

$2.25 ฿75.8

0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₱71.4

$2.08 ฿70.1

-46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 ₱131

$1.51 ฿51.0

36.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 ₱142

$1.38 ฿46.56

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ₱72.7

$1.07 ฿35.99

6.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₱36.03

$0.52 ฿17.52

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 ₱186

$4.20 ฿142

-30.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 ₱529

$18.79 ฿634

-55.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₱59.2

$1.82 ฿61.5

-48.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₱114

$2.84 ฿95.9

-37.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱14.10

$1.45 ฿49.03

-84.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.54 ₱865

$56.7 ฿1,913

-76.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱49.41

$3.02 ฿102

-74.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.99

$1.02 ฿34.36

-78.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 ₱127

$3.69 ฿125

-46.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱81.3

$1.47 ฿49.81

-13.61%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-29.02%

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

$20.2K ₱1.3M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-24.15%

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

$125 ₱8,015

$96.4 ฿3,254

30.20%

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

$16.25 ₱1,038

$11.26 ฿380

44.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.48 ₱1,500

$16.85 ฿569

39.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.49 ₱2,012

$67.2 ฿2,270

-53.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.99 ₱319

$10.73 ฿362

-53.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 ₱324

$7.50 ฿253

-32.40%

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

$144 ₱9,190

$476 ฿16.1K

-69.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,421 ₱538.1K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-25.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.73 ₱2,155

$62.4 ฿2,106

-45.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.38 ₱1,238

$28.41 ฿959

-31.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.6 ₱4,190

$94.3 ฿3,184

-30.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.3 ₱3,980

$85.8 ฿2,898

-27.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 ₱15.8K

$716 ฿24.2K

-65.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$160 ₱10.2K

$491 ฿16.6K

-67.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 ₱32.4K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-73.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₱22.9K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-74.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,535 ₱161.9K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-39.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,054 ₱67.3K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-65.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ₱15.7K

$502 ฿17.0K

-50.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

5.57

24.24%

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

Last update for El Nido: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

El Nido

$181 24.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 47% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Nido

$165 22.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 24.6% $41

Accommodation & Living

El Nido

$160 22%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 206% $331

Eating Out

El Nido

$84 11.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 45.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

El Nido

$81 11.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 49.7% $40

Sport & Entertainment

El Nido

$42 5.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 97.5% $41

Getting Around

El Nido

$16 2.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 333% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in El Nido versus $716 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 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in El Nido versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $266 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 El Nido

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

21:56 9:56 PM

1 h behind El Nido

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,494

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 = 2.66 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.11 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

El Nido Phuket 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

El Nido
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

El Nido vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $730 in El Nido, $1,278 in Phuket – roughly 75% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,094 per month in El Nido and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Nido, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $248 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Public transport costs about 76% less in El Nido. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $144 per month in El Nido and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $730, than in Phuket at $1,278. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Nido – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with El Nido. 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.