Cost of Living Comparison Between Pagadian and Samut Prakan Cost of Living Comparison Between Pagadian and Samut Prakan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $730 in Pagadian versus $890 in Samut Prakan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,099 in Pagadian versus $1,509 in Samut Prakan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,468 in Pagadian versus $2,128 in Samut Prakan.

Living in Pagadian costs roughly 18% less than in Samut Prakan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pagadian 47% lower, Samut Prakan 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.82 ₱239

$3.14 ฿103

21.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.08 ₱1,068

$15.51 ฿510

10.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.85 ₱178

$7.76 ฿255

-63.27%

Cappuccino

$1.95 ₱122

$1.49 ฿48.88

30.87%

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

$0.82 ₱51.3

$0.50 ฿16.59

64.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₱14.27

$0.25 ฿8.16

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ₱91.1

$2.03 ฿66.6

-28.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ₱120

$2.82 ฿92.8

-31.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ₱107

$1.46 ฿47.87

17.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ₱75.4

$1.03 ฿33.89

17.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ₱56.0

$1.09 ฿35.95

-17.43%

Eggs

$1.85 ₱116

$1.79 ฿58.9

3.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.73 ₱296

$12.80 ฿421

-63.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 ₱260

$2.54 ฿83.7

63.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.85 ₱428

$10.50 ฿345

-34.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ₱156

$1.82 ฿59.8

36.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.8

$1.03 ฿34.02

40.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 ₱151

$1.75 ฿57.4

38.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱70.4

$1.35 ฿44.41

-16.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 ₱143

$1.72 ฿56.6

32.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 ₱140

$1.05 ฿34.47

112.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 ₱49.75

$0.75 ฿24.63

6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₱34.76

$0.43 ฿14.10

30.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 ₱184

$4.47 ฿147

-34.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 ₱498

$12.10 ฿398

-34.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₱60.3

$1.53 ฿50.3

-37.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱126

$2.24 ฿73.6

-10.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.56

$0.51 ฿16.80

-50.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.31 ₱707

$30.18 ฿992

-62.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱42.95

$1.09 ฿35.96

-36.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.40

$1.20 ฿39.32

-80.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱120

$4.01 ฿132

-51.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ₱65.4

$1.11 ฿36.56

-5.41%

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

$24.6K ₱1.5M

$12.3K ฿403.3K

100.68%

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

$20.6K ₱1.3M

$24.6K ฿808.1K

-16.12%

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

$124 ₱7,751

$83.3 ฿2,739

48.77%

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

$16.40 ₱1,026

$9.44 ฿310

73.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.48 ₱1,656

$17.03 ฿560

55.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.92 ₱1,996

$46.30 ฿1,522

-31.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.80 ₱300

$14.46 ฿475

-66.80%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱338

$6.03 ฿198

-10.45%

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

$153 ₱9,562

$155 ฿5,082

-1.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,142 ₱446.7K

$6,927 ฿227.8K

3.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.99 ₱2,126

$23.18 ฿762

46.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.15 ₱1,323

$34.18 ฿1,124

-38.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 ₱4,249

$74.1 ฿2,436

-8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 ₱3,762

$98.0 ฿3,223

-38.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 ₱16.9K

$486 ฿16.0K

-44.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 ₱9,456

$290 ฿9,520

-47.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.5K

$1,234 ฿40.6K

-59.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱21.9K

$827 ฿27.2K

-57.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,279 ₱142.5K

$1,962 ฿64.5K

16.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 ₱72.9K

$1,640 ฿53.9K

-28.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 ฿21.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

125.00%

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

Last update for Pagadian: August 31, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $271 in Pagadian and $486 in Samut Prakan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17.00 in Pagadian vs $16.00 in Samut Prakan. Groceries flip the comparison at $178 vs $200, with Pagadian cheaper for home cooking.

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

Pagadian vs Samut Prakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pagadian and Samut Prakan differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($730 vs $890 including rent). Pagadian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,095 in Pagadian and $1,335 in Samut Prakan 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: $271 in Pagadian versus $486 in Samut Prakan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pagadian – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $16.00 in Samut Prakan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $730 per month in Pagadian versus $890 in Samut Prakan – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Pagadian gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Pagadian and Samut Prakan 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 Pagadian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Samut Prakan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.