Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaue and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandaue and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Mandaue versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,374 in Mandaue versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Mandaue versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Mandaue costs roughly 26% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mandaue 30% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 ₱279

$4.70 ฿153

-3.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.25 ₱1,495

$45.37 ฿1,482

-46.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.33 ₱267

$8.43 ฿275

-48.64%

Cappuccino

$2.64 ₱163

$2.93 ฿95.6

-9.90%

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

$0.81 ₱49.70

$0.69 ฿22.40

17.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₱27.81

$0.37 ฿11.99

21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 ₱96.6

$2.41 ฿78.6

-34.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ₱128

$3.72 ฿122

-44.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₱128

$2.23 ฿72.9

-6.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.75 ₱46.14

$1.83 ฿59.8

-59.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱59.9

$2.17 ฿70.8

-55.30%

Eggs

$2.23 ₱138

$2.21 ฿72.3

0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 ₱786

$19.74 ฿645

-35.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 ₱319

$3.63 ฿119

42.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.52 ₱464

$13.53 ฿442

-44.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 ₱221

$3.28 ฿107

9.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₱92.7

$1.61 ฿52.6

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 ₱201

$2.41 ฿78.6

35.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 ₱139

$2.08 ฿68.1

8.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 ₱158

$1.53 ฿49.93

67.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 ₱156

$1.48 ฿48.36

70.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ₱60.3

$0.99 ฿32.29

-1.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₱48.69

$0.51 ฿16.67

54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 ₱165

$4.41 ฿144

-39.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.34 ₱391

$19.38 ฿633

-67.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₱70.9

$1.78 ฿58.1

-35.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱144

$2.71 ฿88.6

-13.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.01

$1.37 ฿44.79

-81.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱51.7

$3.02 ฿98.6

-72.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.51

$0.99 ฿32.48

-74.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 ₱163

$14.10 ฿461

-81.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₱67.2

$1.36 ฿44.51

-19.85%

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

$29.6K ₱1.8M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

4.95%

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

$27.5K ₱1.7M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-16.47%

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

$95.5 ₱5,886

$122 ฿3,975

-21.56%

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

$26.50 ₱1,634

$13.57 ฿443

95.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.84 ₱1,840

$18.31 ฿598

62.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.94 ₱2,956

$60.2 ฿1,967

-20.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.47 ₱276

$17.14 ฿560

-73.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.91 ₱364

$8.69 ฿284

-31.99%

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

$230 ₱14.2K

$693 ฿22.6K

-66.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,847 ₱237.2K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-75.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.31 ₱2,856

$59.5 ฿1,944

-22.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.90 ₱1,412

$34.77 ฿1,136

-34.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 ₱4,759

$115 ฿3,743

-32.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 ₱3,438

$83.3 ฿2,720

-33.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$266 ₱16.4K

$613 ฿20.0K

-56.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₱17.5K

$437 ฿14.3K

-34.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$854 ₱52.7K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-59.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 ₱26.9K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-71.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,353 ₱145.1K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-37.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$958 ₱59.1K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-63.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$242 ₱14.9K

$508 ฿16.6K

-52.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

50.09%

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

Last update for Mandaue: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $266 in Mandaue and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 110% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Mandaue vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $293 per month, with Mandaue cheaper across the board.

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

Mandaue vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandaue wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mandaue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Phuket earns 110% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $266 in Mandaue versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Mandaue versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaue – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $934 in Mandaue versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mandaue but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mandaue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $934 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mandaue hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mandaue 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 Mandaue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.