Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaybalay and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Malaybalay: $756 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Malaybalay
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Malaybalay Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$756

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $756 in Malaybalay versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Malaybalay $756
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,182 in Malaybalay versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Malaybalay $1,182
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,607 in Malaybalay versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Malaybalay $1,607
Phuket $2,867

Living in Malaybalay costs roughly 37% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Malaybalay 44% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 ₱308

$4.58 ฿153

6.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.45 ₱1,035

$32.48 ฿1,086

-49.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.51 ₱221

$8.55 ฿286

-58.95%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₱137

$2.72 ฿91.0

-19.85%

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

$0.49 ₱31.14

$0.94 ฿31.25

-47.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱20.93

$0.49 ฿16.39

-32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₱71.2

$2.59 ฿86.6

-56.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱121

$3.83 ฿128

-49.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₱127

$1.74 ฿58.1

16.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.2

$1.43 ฿47.82

-20.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ₱55.2

$1.53 ฿51.0

-42.48%

Eggs

$1.87 ₱118

$2.17 ฿72.7

-13.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 ₱404

$19.15 ฿640

-66.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 ₱307

$3.30 ฿110

47.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 ₱570

$11.14 ฿372

-18.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 ₱175

$2.95 ฿98.5

-6.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₱67.2

$1.68 ฿56.1

-36.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ₱150

$2.30 ฿76.8

3.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₱71.8

$2.13 ฿71.3

-46.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 ₱123

$1.53 ฿51.1

28.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 ₱213

$1.36 ฿45.55

149.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 ₱75.3

$1.12 ฿37.44

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₱41.82

$0.55 ฿18.24

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.47 ₱156

$4.26 ฿142

-42.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 ₱489

$18.19 ฿608

-57.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.1

$1.74 ฿58.2

-27.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ₱102

$2.79 ฿93.3

-41.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.60

$2.22 ฿74.1

-90.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.70 ₱674

$22.06 ฿737

-51.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱52.9

$2.91 ฿97.3

-71.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.40

$1.01 ฿33.79

-77.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱119

$3.83 ฿128

-50.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ₱80.2

$1.49 ฿49.85

-14.77%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-19.10%

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

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-28.95%

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

$109 ₱6,856

$99.4 ฿3,321

9.59%

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

$19.33 ₱1,217

$11.28 ฿377

71.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 ₱1,962

$17.36 ฿580

79.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.01 ₱1,890

$52.3 ฿1,747

-42.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.18 ₱263

$10.85 ฿362

-61.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 ₱306

$7.57 ฿253

-35.80%

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

$106 ₱6,689

$558 ฿18.7K

-80.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,589 ₱477.8K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-33.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.02 ₱2,079

$62.9 ฿2,102

-47.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.31 ₱1,216

$28.58 ฿955

-32.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 ₱4,451

$96.1 ฿3,213

-26.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ₱3,821

$88.1 ฿2,943

-31.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 ₱17.5K

$729 ฿24.4K

-61.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 ₱10.9K

$460 ฿15.4K

-62.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 ₱27.8K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-78.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 ₱25.4K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-66.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,200 ₱138.5K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-36.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,006 ₱63.4K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-59.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

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 Malaybalay: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malaybalay

$199 26.4%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 34.2% $68

Accommodation & Living

Malaybalay

$173 22.8%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 166% $287

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malaybalay

$159 21.1%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 19.7% $31

Eating Out

Malaybalay

$89 11.7%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 36.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Malaybalay

$83 10.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 50.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Malaybalay

$40 5.3%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 69.7% $28

Getting Around

Malaybalay

$14 1.8%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 187% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in Malaybalay and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Malaybalay vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $268 per month, with Malaybalay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Malaybalay

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:19 2:19 AM

01:19 1:19 AM

1 h behind Malaybalay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,712

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 19, 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 19, 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

Malaybalay Phuket 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Malaybalay
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

Malaybalay vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malaybalay and Phuket differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($756 vs $1,207 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,134 in Malaybalay and $1,811 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $279 in Malaybalay versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malaybalay – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $756 in Malaybalay versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malaybalay but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Malaybalay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Malaybalay and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Malaybalay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.