Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Naga and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Naga: $552 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Naga, Philippines
Phuket, Thailand
Naga
🇵🇭 Philippines
$552
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $552 in Naga versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Naga $552
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $845 in Naga versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Naga $845
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,138 in Naga versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Naga $1,138
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Naga costs roughly 57% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Naga 59% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Naga
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.10 ₱326
$4.47 ฿151
14.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$13.37 ₱854
$32.41 ฿1,094
-58.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.77 ₱177
$8.81 ฿297
-68.56%
Cappuccino
$2.74 ₱175
$2.83 ฿95.5
-3.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 ₱42.90
$0.87 ฿29.43
-22.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 ₱14.03
$0.49 ฿16.67
-55.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.31 ₱83.4
$2.56 ฿86.4
-48.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 ₱198
$3.68 ฿124
-16.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Naga
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.95 ₱125
$1.66 ฿56.0
17.47%
White Bread (500g)
$0.80 ₱51.1
$1.46 ฿49.35
-45.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.77 ₱49.27
$1.50 ฿50.6
-48.67%
Eggs
$1.68 ₱107
$2.09 ฿70.5
-19.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.06 ₱643
$19.07 ฿644
-47.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.12 ₱264
$3.30 ฿111
24.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.84 ₱437
$10.91 ฿368
-37.31%
Apples (1kg)
$1.90 ₱121
$2.93 ฿99.0
-35.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 ₱106
$1.69 ฿57.1
-1.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 ₱154
$2.25 ฿75.8
7.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.37 ₱152
$2.08 ฿70.1
13.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.53 ₱162
$1.51 ฿51.0
67.55%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 ₱141
$1.38 ฿46.56
60.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$4.63 ₱296
$1.07 ฿35.99
332.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ₱38.38
$0.52 ฿17.52
15.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.76 ₱176
$4.20 ฿142
-34.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.77 ₱241
$18.79 ฿634
-79.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 ₱97.6
$1.82 ฿61.5
-15.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.84 ฿95.9
-
🚌 Getting Around
Naga
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.45 ฿49.03
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$56.7 ฿1,913
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.58 ₱36.83
$3.02 ฿102
-80.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.02 ฿34.36
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.69 ฿125
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 ₱76.0
$1.47 ฿49.81
-19.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$26.8K ฿904.3K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$26.7K ฿901.3K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Naga
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.7 ₱6,243
$96.4 ฿3,254
1.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.84 ₱1,523
$11.26 ฿380
111.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.59 ₱1,635
$16.85 ฿569
51.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Naga
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$7.73 ₱494
$67.2 ฿2,270
-88.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.73 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.80 ₱307
$7.50 ฿253
-36.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Naga
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$476 ฿16.1K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,801 ₱498.4K
$11.3K ฿380.4K
-30.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Naga
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$62.4 ฿2,106
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$28.41 ฿959
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$94.3 ฿3,184
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$85.8 ฿2,898
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Naga
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$158 ₱10.1K
$716 ฿24.2K
-77.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$85.9 ₱5,487
$491 ฿16.6K
-82.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$240 ₱15.4K
$1,927 ฿65.1K
-87.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$195 ₱12.5K
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-86.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Naga
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$138 ₱8,843
$502 ฿17.0K
-72.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.57
-

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

Last update for Naga: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Naga
–
Phuket
$491
Groceries & Markets
Naga
–
Phuket
$266
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Naga
–
Phuket
$124
Clothing & Footwear
Naga
–
Phuket
$122
Eating Out
Naga
–
Phuket
$122
Sport & Entertainment
Naga
–
Phuket
$82
Getting Around
Naga
–
Phuket
$71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $158 in Naga and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $13 in Naga vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $266 per month, with Naga cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Naga
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
04:47 4:47 AM
03:47 3:47 AM
1 h behind Naga
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
115,750
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Naga Phuket 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Naga
  • 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
Naga vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Naga and in Phuket?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $552 in Naga and $1,278 in Phuket, so Naga is about 57% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Naga. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Naga and in Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $158 in Naga versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Naga – a meal for two runs $13 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Naga or Phuket?
All in, you’ll spend $552 per month in Naga versus $1,278 in Phuket – Naga is about 57% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $552 in Naga versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Naga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Naga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Naga and Phuket?
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.
Is Naga or Phuket safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Naga and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Naga and Phuket?
It comes down to priorities – Naga wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Naga vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?