Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iligan City and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Iligan City: $744 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Iligan City
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Iligan City Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Iligan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$744

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $744 per month in Iligan City vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Iligan City $744
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $1,121 per month in Iligan City vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Iligan City $1,121
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $1,498 per month in Iligan City vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Iligan City $1,498
Phuket $2,845

Iligan City is about 38% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Iligan City and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Iligan City 45% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ₱241

$4.40 ฿147

-13.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.87 ₱936

$32.26 ฿1,078

-53.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.74 ₱172

$8.76 ฿293

-68.72%

Cappuccino

$2.44 ₱154

$2.83 ฿94.5

-13.78%

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

$0.67 ₱42.23

$0.90 ฿30.14

-25.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.02

$0.47 ฿15.56

-29.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₱71.1

$2.55 ฿85.2

-55.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱126

$3.83 ฿128

-48.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.73 ฿57.7

10.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱69.8

$1.47 ฿49.11

-24.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱58.3

$1.51 ฿50.6

-38.41%

Eggs

$1.94 ₱122

$2.17 ฿72.7

-10.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.55 ₱349

$19.70 ฿658

-71.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ₱267

$3.34 ฿112

26.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱443

$11.16 ฿373

-37.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 ₱154

$2.85 ฿95.1

-14.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₱100

$1.70 ฿56.9

-6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱152

$2.19 ฿73.3

10.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$2.05 ฿68.4

-42.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 ₱125

$1.45 ฿48.57

36.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 ₱124

$1.38 ฿46.16

42.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 ₱62.7

$1.07 ฿35.69

-6.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₱33.96

$0.51 ฿16.91

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₱209

$4.26 ฿142

-21.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.75 ₱488

$18.58 ฿621

-58.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₱61.9

$1.78 ฿59.7

-44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.85 ฿95.2

-31.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱14.97

$2.26 ฿75.6

-89.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.68 ₱673

$22.10 ฿738

-51.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱45.73

$3.01 ฿101

-75.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 ₱15.09

$1.06 ฿35.34

-77.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 ₱129

$3.86 ฿129

-46.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱79.7

$1.45 ฿48.45

-12.41%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-21.26%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-23.68%

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

$127 ₱7,992

$96.4 ฿3,221

31.72%

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

$15.20 ₱957

$11.04 ฿369

37.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.59 ₱1,548

$17.14 ฿573

43.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.05 ₱2,018

$52.2 ฿1,744

-38.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.84 ₱305

$11.16 ฿373

-56.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 ₱321

$7.81 ฿261

-34.83%

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

$146 ₱9,209

$556 ฿18.6K

-73.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,850 ₱431.3K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-40.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.15 ₱2,024

$64.2 ฿2,146

-49.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.34 ₱1,344

$28.69 ฿959

-25.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 ₱4,455

$95.4 ฿3,187

-25.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.7 ₱3,884

$88.0 ฿2,940

-29.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$111 ₱7,004

$737 ฿24.6K

-84.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 ₱10.9K

$462 ฿15.5K

-62.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 ₱31.9K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-75.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 ₱21.9K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-71.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,447 ₱154.1K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-29.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$866 ₱54.5K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-65.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$194 ₱12.2K

$501 ฿16.7K

-61.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.57

21.90%

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

Last update for Iligan City: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Iligan City

$183 24.6%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 47.1% $86

Accommodation & Living

Iligan City

$173 23.3%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 167% $289

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iligan City

$167 22.4%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 25.3% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Iligan City

$84 11.3%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 48.6% $41

Eating Out

Iligan City

$82 11%

Phuket

$121 10% 48.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Iligan City

$42 5.7%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 60.5% $26

Getting Around

Iligan City

$14 1.8%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 191% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $111 in Iligan City versus $737 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 run about 158% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Iligan City versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $269 – making Iligan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Iligan City

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

19:32 7:32 PM

1 h behind Iligan City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

342,618

79,308

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Iligan City Phuket 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Iligan 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $744 in Iligan City, $1,208 in Phuket – roughly 62% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,115 per month in Iligan City and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iligan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 107% less in Iligan City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $146 per month in Iligan City and $556 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Iligan City, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Iligan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $744 in Iligan City to $1,208 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Iligan City. 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.