Cost of Living Comparison Between Muntinlupa and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Muntinlupa and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $908 in Muntinlupa versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,443 in Muntinlupa versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,978 in Muntinlupa versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Muntinlupa costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Muntinlupa 32% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.86 ₱300

$4.70 ฿153

3.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.26 ₱1,619

$45.37 ฿1,482

-42.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.10 ₱191

$8.43 ฿275

-63.23%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ₱161

$2.93 ฿95.6

-10.92%

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

$0.93 ₱57.5

$0.69 ฿22.40

34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₱28.06

$0.37 ฿11.99

24.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.39 ₱85.7

$2.41 ฿78.6

-42.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 ₱160

$3.72 ฿122

-30.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱120

$2.23 ฿72.9

-12.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ₱79.9

$1.83 ฿59.8

-28.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ₱64.2

$2.17 ฿70.8

-52.07%

Eggs

$1.97 ₱121

$2.21 ฿72.3

-10.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 ₱428

$19.74 ฿645

-64.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 ₱287

$3.63 ฿119

28.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.39 ₱456

$13.53 ฿442

-45.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 ₱239

$3.28 ฿107

18.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₱100

$1.61 ฿52.6

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 ₱179

$2.41 ฿78.6

20.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 ₱148

$2.08 ฿68.1

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 ₱172

$1.53 ฿49.93

82.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 ₱194

$1.48 ฿48.36

112.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 ₱126

$0.99 ฿32.29

106.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₱61.7

$0.51 ฿16.67

96.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 ₱194

$4.41 ฿144

-28.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.87 ₱547

$19.38 ฿633

-54.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱95.1

$1.78 ฿58.1

-13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱120

$2.71 ฿88.6

-28.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱15.88

$1.37 ฿44.79

-81.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.26 ₱879

$11.39 ฿372

25.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱50.1

$3.02 ฿98.6

-73.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.56

$0.99 ฿32.48

-77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₱133

$14.10 ฿461

-84.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ₱68.6

$1.36 ฿44.51

-18.38%

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

$25.4K ₱1.6M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-9.82%

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

$20.4K ₱1.3M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-37.92%

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

$136 ₱8,365

$122 ฿3,975

11.48%

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

$21.84 ₱1,347

$13.57 ฿443

60.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.19 ₱1,861

$18.31 ฿598

64.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.51 ₱3,053

$60.2 ฿1,967

-17.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.40 ₱271

$17.14 ฿560

-74.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 ₱412

$8.69 ฿284

-23.13%

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

$113 ₱6,996

$693 ฿22.6K

-83.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,642 ₱286.2K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-70.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.94 ₱2,833

$59.5 ฿1,944

-22.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.22 ₱2,172

$34.77 ฿1,136

1.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 ₱5,996

$115 ฿3,743

-15.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 ₱5,878

$83.3 ฿2,720

14.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 ₱24.8K

$613 ฿20.0K

-34.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 ₱12.8K

$437 ฿14.3K

-52.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 ₱71.6K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-44.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ₱27.0K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-71.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,468 ₱152.2K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-34.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$975 ₱60.1K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-62.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$630 ₱38.8K

$508 ฿16.6K

23.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.52

5.33

41.09%

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

Last update for Muntinlupa: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $402 in Muntinlupa and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muntinlupa pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Muntinlupa vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $293 per month, with Muntinlupa 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

Muntinlupa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muntinlupa wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Muntinlupa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Muntinlupa pays 24% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $402 in Muntinlupa versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $113 in Muntinlupa versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $908 in Muntinlupa versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Muntinlupa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Muntinlupa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Muntinlupa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $908 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Muntinlupa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Muntinlupa 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 Muntinlupa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.