Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Imus and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Imus: $644 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Imus
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Imus Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Imus

🇵🇭 Philippines

$644

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $644 per month in Imus vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Imus $644
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $960 per month in Imus vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Imus $960
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $1,276 per month in Imus vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Imus $1,276
Phuket $3,115

Imus is about 50% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Imus and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Imus 52% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 ₱253

$4.39 ฿148

-9.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.17 ₱1,026

$32.31 ฿1,090

-49.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.68 ₱170

$8.70 ฿294

-69.20%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ₱118

$2.72 ฿91.9

-31.62%

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

$0.54 ₱34.55

$0.93 ฿31.38

-41.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱21.21

$0.50 ฿16.85

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ₱59.4

$2.53 ฿85.4

-63.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ₱107

$3.63 ฿122

-53.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 ₱106

$1.74 ฿58.7

-4.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 ₱73.1

$1.45 ฿48.93

-20.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱63.0

$1.50 ฿50.7

-34.00%

Eggs

$1.97 ₱125

$2.17 ฿73.3

-9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.66 ₱296

$19.09 ฿644

-75.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ₱218

$3.40 ฿115

0.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.91 ₱502

$10.90 ฿368

-27.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₱137

$2.94 ฿99.2

-26.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₱96.4

$1.69 ฿57.1

-10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ₱150

$2.19 ฿74.0

8.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ₱115

$2.12 ฿71.6

-14.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 ₱110

$1.46 ฿49.19

18.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ₱108

$1.37 ฿46.14

24.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 ₱60.5

$1.08 ฿36.29

-12.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₱30.63

$0.55 ฿18.40

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱190

$4.43 ฿149

-32.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.62 ₱547

$18.25 ฿616

-52.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₱67.2

$1.77 ฿59.8

-40.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱128

$2.88 ฿97.2

-30.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.32

$1.45 ฿48.82

-83.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.60 ₱800

$54.9 ฿1,851

-77.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱47.72

$1.51 ฿51.0

-50.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.98

$0.78 ฿26.17

-71.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.89 ₱120

$3.84 ฿129

-50.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₱74.5

$1.49 ฿50.2

-21.48%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$26.9K ฿906.7K

-22.92%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$26.3K ฿888.6K

-27.92%

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

$123 ₱7,810

$97.8 ฿3,299

25.77%

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

$15.49 ₱983

$11.29 ฿381

37.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.31 ₱1,480

$17.19 ฿580

35.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 ₱1,955

$68.3 ฿2,305

-54.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.27 ₱334

$10.92 ฿368

-51.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 ₱328

$7.43 ฿251

-30.55%

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

$132 ₱8,355

$530 ฿17.9K

-75.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,902 ₱565.1K

$18.8K ฿633.5K

-52.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.85 ₱1,832

$61.7 ฿2,080

-53.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.46 ₱1,236

$28.25 ฿953

-31.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 ₱4,383

$96.0 ฿3,238

-28.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.2 ₱3,438

$86.8 ฿2,928

-37.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$115 ₱7,327

$721 ฿24.3K

-83.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$97.0 ₱6,157

$509 ฿17.2K

-80.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$199 ₱12.6K

$1,950 ฿65.8K

-89.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 ₱10.4K

$1,397 ฿47.1K

-88.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,598 ₱165.0K

$4,192 ฿141.4K

-38.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,091 ₱69.3K

$3,298 ฿111.3K

-66.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 ₱11.0K

$492 ฿16.6K

-64.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.57

21.18%

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

Last update for Imus: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Imus

$178 27.6%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 49.9% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Imus

$162 25.1%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 22% $36

Accommodation & Living

Imus

$97 15.1%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 425% $412

Clothing & Footwear

Imus

$77 12%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 59% $46

Eating Out

Imus

$74 11.5%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 61.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Imus

$41 6.4%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 102% $42

Getting Around

Imus

$15 2.4%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 329% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $115 in Imus 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 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Imus versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $178 vs $267 – making Imus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Imus

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:09 12:09 PM

11:09 11:09 AM

1 h behind Imus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

496,794

79,308

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.49 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Imus Phuket 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Imus
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

Imus vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $644 in Imus, $1,294 in Phuket – Imus comes out roughly 50% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $967 per month in Imus and $1,940 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Imus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $115 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16 in Imus and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Imus, where all-in costs run around $644, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Imus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Imus. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.