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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $772 in Albay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,205 in Albay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,638 in Albay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than Albay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Albay 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.49 ₱215

34.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$18.06 ₱1,113

151.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.33 ₱205

153.15%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.46 ₱152

19.11%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.77 ₱47.44

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.39 ₱24.14

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.35 ₱83.3

78.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.09 ₱129

77.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.92 ₱119

16.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.21 ₱74.5

51.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.96 ₱59.1

126.04%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.06 ₱127

7.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.99 ₱493

147.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.15 ₱256

-12.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.50 ₱462

80.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.85 ₱176

15.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.58 ₱97.7

1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.69 ₱166

-10.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.57 ₱96.6

32.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.20 ₱135

-30.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.53 ₱156

-41.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.07 ₱65.7

-7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.72 ₱44.23

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.78 ₱172

58.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.52 ₱526

127.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.20 ₱73.9

48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.96 ₱121

38.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.28 ₱17.28

389.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.81 ₱50.1

272.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.24 ₱14.85

312.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.18 ₱134

546.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.14 ₱70.0

19.30%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$26.5K ₱1.6M

6.39%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.4K ₱1.3M

61.20%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$110 ₱6,806

10.26%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$32.34 ₱1,994

-58.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$27.56 ₱1,699

-33.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$33.25 ₱2,050

81.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.51 ₱278

280.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.87 ₱362

48.04%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$152 ₱9,356

357.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,241 ₱261.5K

269.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$45.77 ₱2,822

30.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$26.78 ₱1,651

29.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$75.8 ₱4,674

51.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$53.3 ₱3,287

56.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$268 ₱16.5K

128.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$177 ₱10.9K

146.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$594 ₱36.6K

252.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$402 ₱24.8K

275.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,794 ₱172.3K

34.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$889 ₱54.8K

194.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$163 ₱10.0K

212.16%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Albay: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $268 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 212% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $204 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 64% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $772 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 212% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $268 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $152 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $772 in Albay versus $1,265 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 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.