Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mambajao and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $508 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Mambajao
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Mambajao Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$508

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $508 per month in Mambajao vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Mambajao $508
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $817 per month in Mambajao vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Mambajao $817
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,126 per month in Mambajao vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Mambajao $1,126
Phuket $2,867

Mambajao is about 58% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mambajao and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Mambajao 62% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.36 ₱85.9

$4.58 ฿153

-70.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.83 ₱997

$32.48 ฿1,086

-51.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.40 ₱214

$8.55 ฿286

-60.23%

Cappuccino

$2.28 ₱144

$2.72 ฿91.0

-16.18%

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

$0.38 ₱24.02

$0.94 ฿31.25

-59.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₱16.81

$0.49 ฿16.39

-44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₱64.6

$2.59 ฿86.6

-60.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 ₱70.6

$3.83 ฿128

-70.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 ₱56.8

$1.74 ฿58.1

-48.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ₱39.56

$1.43 ฿47.82

-55.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₱41.56

$1.53 ฿51.0

-56.86%

Eggs

$1.26 ₱79.5

$2.17 ฿72.7

-41.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 ₱372

$19.15 ฿640

-69.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 ₱270

$3.30 ฿110

30.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.50 ₱346

$11.14 ฿372

-50.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ₱160

$2.95 ฿98.5

-13.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₱103

$1.68 ฿56.1

-2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ₱141

$2.30 ฿76.8

-2.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$2.13 ฿71.3

-46.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.3

$1.53 ฿51.1

-15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₱130

$1.36 ฿45.55

51.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₱56.8

$1.12 ฿37.44

-19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₱34.37

$0.55 ฿18.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₱158

$4.26 ฿142

-41.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 ₱467

$18.19 ฿608

-59.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₱62.0

$1.74 ฿58.2

-43.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱70.9

$2.79 ฿93.3

-59.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.47

$2.22 ฿74.1

-90.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.71 ₱675

$22.06 ฿737

-51.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱43.54

$2.91 ฿97.3

-76.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱12.97

$1.01 ฿33.79

-79.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 ₱107

$3.83 ฿128

-55.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.3

$1.49 ฿49.85

-14.09%

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

$21.9K ₱1.4M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-17.73%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-18.54%

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

$64.9 ₱4,083

$99.4 ฿3,321

-34.74%

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

$16.36 ₱1,030

$11.28 ฿377

45.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.10 ₱1,266

$17.36 ฿580

15.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.72 ₱1,745

$52.3 ฿1,747

-46.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.68 ₱295

$10.85 ฿362

-56.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 ₱312

$7.57 ฿253

-34.61%

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

$127 ₱7,995

$558 ฿18.7K

-77.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,993 ₱566.2K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-21.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.83 ₱1,941

$62.9 ฿2,102

-50.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.01 ₱1,386

$28.58 ฿955

-22.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ₱4,553

$96.1 ฿3,213

-24.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.1 ₱3,975

$88.1 ฿2,943

-28.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 ₱6,360

$729 ฿24.4K

-86.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.3 ₱3,542

$460 ฿15.4K

-87.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 ₱14.9K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-88.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 ₱9,973

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-87.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,172 ₱136.7K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-37.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$990 ₱62.3K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-60.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$153 ₱9,616

$493 ฿16.5K

-69.02%

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 Mambajao: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mambajao

$156 30.7%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 71.6% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mambajao

$101 20%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 26.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Mambajao

$85 16.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 46.4% $39

Eating Out

Mambajao

$59 11.5%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 107% $63

Accommodation & Living

Mambajao

$56 11.1%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 718% $404

Sport & Entertainment

Mambajao

$38 7.4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 79.2% $30

Getting Around

Mambajao

$13 2.6%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 194% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $101 in Mambajao versus $729 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 223% 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 $16.00 in Mambajao versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $268 – making Mambajao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

00:48 12:48 AM

1 h behind Mambajao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,094

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

Mambajao Phuket 2,900 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Mambajao
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

Mambajao vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 138% more than Mambajao, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $761 per month in Mambajao and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $508 in Mambajao and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 138%.

Public transport costs about 106% less in Mambajao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mambajao, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Mambajao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mambajao costs $508 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Mambajao. 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.