Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Panglao and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Panglao: $795 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Panglao
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Panglao Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Panglao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$795

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $795 per month in Panglao vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Panglao $795
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $1,113 per month in Panglao vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Panglao $1,113
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $1,431 per month in Panglao vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Panglao $1,431
Phuket $3,115

Panglao is about 39% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Panglao and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Panglao 41% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 ₱245

$4.39 ฿147

-11.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.45 ₱1,476

$32.31 ฿1,080

-27.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.93 ₱247

$8.70 ฿291

-54.83%

Cappuccino

$2.14 ₱135

$2.72 ฿91.1

-21.32%

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

$0.69 ₱43.44

$0.93 ฿31.11

-25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₱29.59

$0.50 ฿16.70

-6.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 ₱96.8

$2.53 ฿84.6

-39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₱116

$3.63 ฿121

-49.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₱99.4

$1.74 ฿58.2

-9.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ₱68.8

$1.45 ฿48.51

-24.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.0

$1.50 ฿50.2

-38.67%

Eggs

$1.69 ₱106

$2.17 ฿72.6

-22.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.73 ₱298

$19.09 ฿638

-75.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 ₱284

$3.40 ฿114

32.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 ₱482

$10.90 ฿364

-29.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ₱120

$2.94 ฿98.3

-35.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ₱82.7

$1.69 ฿56.6

-22.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.19 ฿73.4

-11.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$2.12 ฿71.0

-29.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱145

$1.46 ฿48.77

57.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₱119

$1.37 ฿45.74

37.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱67.3

$1.08 ฿35.98

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₱28.65

$0.55 ฿18.24

-16.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱182

$4.43 ฿148

-34.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 ₱361

$18.25 ฿610

-68.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₱50.1

$1.77 ฿59.3

-54.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₱97.4

$2.88 ฿96.3

-46.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₱13.79

$1.45 ฿48.40

-84.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.47 ₱785

$54.9 ฿1,835

-77.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.40

$1.51 ฿50.6

-50.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.88

$0.78 ฿25.94

-71.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₱117

$3.84 ฿128

-51.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₱59.2

$1.49 ฿49.74

-36.91%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$26.9K ฿898.9K

-21.67%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$26.3K ฿881.0K

-27.37%

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

$58.2 ₱3,666

$97.8 ฿3,271

-40.47%

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

$6.53 ₱411

$11.29 ฿378

-42.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.87 ₱1,503

$17.19 ฿575

38.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.83 ₱1,312

$68.3 ฿2,285

-69.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.16 ₱325

$10.92 ฿365

-52.75%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 ₱247

$7.43 ฿248

-47.24%

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

$132 ₱8,317

$530 ฿17.7K

-75.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,973 ₱502.0K

$18.8K ฿628.1K

-57.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.20 ₱2,027

$61.7 ฿2,062

-47.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.54 ₱1,231

$28.25 ฿945

-30.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 ₱4,155

$96.0 ฿3,210

-31.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.55 ₱2,931

$86.8 ฿2,903

-46.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 ₱17.6K

$721 ฿24.1K

-61.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 ₱21.2K

$509 ฿17.0K

-33.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 ₱34.1K

$1,950 ฿65.2K

-72.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 ₱25.0K

$1,397 ฿46.7K

-71.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$933 ₱58.7K

$4,192 ฿140.2K

-77.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,091 ₱68.7K

$3,298 ฿110.3K

-66.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.57

29.26%

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

Last update for Panglao: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Panglao

$336 42.2%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 51.5% $173

Groceries & Markets

Panglao

$168 21.2%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 58.5% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Panglao

$89 11.1%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 42.5% $38

Eating Out

Panglao

$85 10.6%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 41.2% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Panglao

$74 9.3%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 66% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Panglao

$29 3.6%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 190% $55

Getting Around

Panglao

$15 1.9%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 335% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $279 in Panglao versus $721 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Panglao versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $168 vs $267 – making Panglao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Panglao

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

08:25 8:25 AM

1 h behind Panglao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,839

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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 62.97 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.68 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Panglao Phuket 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Panglao
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

Panglao vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 63% more than Panglao, 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 $1,193 per month in Panglao and $1,940 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Panglao, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $279 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Panglao and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Panglao – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Panglao is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 39% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.