Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Albay Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Albay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $792 in Albay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,227 in Albay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,662 in Albay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than in Albay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Albay 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.61 ₱222

26.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$17.94 ₱1,104

157.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$3.34 ₱206

164.67%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.44 ₱150

25.41%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.82 ₱50.5

-10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.36 ₱22.26

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.30 ₱79.7

86.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.17 ₱133

74.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.86 ₱114

21.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.27 ₱78.5

42.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.94 ₱58.1

139.36%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.99 ₱123

13.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.86 ₱484

148.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.18 ₱257

-12.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.70 ₱474

69.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.93 ₱181

10.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.52 ₱93.5

6.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.62 ₱161

-9.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.53 ₱94.5

32.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.19 ₱135

-30.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.58 ₱159

-41.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.07 ₱65.7

-8.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.71 ₱44.00

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.87 ₱177

54.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.26 ₱570

97.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.17 ₱71.8

58.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.98 ₱122

35.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.28 ₱17.31

403.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.82 ₱50.8

279.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.22 ₱13.51

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.14 ₱132

559.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.11 ₱68.1

18.02%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$27.0K ₱1.7M

3.12%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.3K ₱1.3M

63.30%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$114 ₱6,997

7.73%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$32.47 ₱1,999

-58.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$27.26 ₱1,678

-31.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$33.29 ₱2,050

81.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$4.50 ₱277

277.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.96 ₱367

52.18%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$153 ₱9,436

360.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,338 ₱267.1K

264.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$45.01 ₱2,771

30.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$26.31 ₱1,620

34.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$75.3 ₱4,637

53.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$53.0 ₱3,262

58.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$263 ₱16.2K

137.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$178 ₱11.0K

149.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$579 ₱35.6K

252.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$395 ₱24.3K

278.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,503 ₱154.1K

39.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$956 ₱58.8K

169.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$164 ₱10.1K

204.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Albay: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $263 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 205% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $206 per month, with Albay 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

Phuket vs Albay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Albay differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $792 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 205% higher in Phuket, 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: $626 in Phuket versus $263 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $153 in Albay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $792 in Albay versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Albay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Phuket and Albay 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 Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.