Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bacolod Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bacolod

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $624 in Bacolod, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $928 in Bacolod, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $1,231 in Bacolod, rent included.

Phuket costs about 97% more than Bacolod, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Bacolod are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Bacolod 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.44 ₱153

80.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$13.05 ₱819

147.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$3.95 ₱248

126.08%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.33 ₱146

24.46%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.65 ₱40.65

35.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.35 ₱21.77

37.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.34 ₱83.8

75.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.81 ₱114

105.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.53 ₱96.1

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.16 ₱72.9

26.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.90 ₱56.4

72.22%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.63 ₱102

28.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.58 ₱538

128.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.93 ₱435

-50.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.39 ₱213

-12.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.53 ₱159

-33.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.54 ₱33.97

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.94 ₱122

-30.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.02 ₱64.1

-46.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.75 ₱172

54.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.91 ₱56.9

95.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.16 ₱10.19

1293.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.75 ₱46.99

304.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.23 ₱14.32

343.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.20 ₱75.4

24.17%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$21.7K ₱1.4M

22.42%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$23.8K ₱1.5M

13.58%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$137 ₱8,619

-25.43%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$8.01 ₱503

41.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$27.72 ₱1,739

-37.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$15.63 ₱980

233.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$2.41 ₱151

359.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.56 ₱286

68.64%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$31.46 ₱1,973

1682.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$56.1 ₱3,515

12.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$271 ₱17.0K

172.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$179 ₱11.2K

170.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$467 ₱29.3K

351.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$335 ₱21.0K

265.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$204 ₱12.8K

141.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Bacolod: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $271 in Bacolod. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 142% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $13.00 in Bacolod. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $153 – making Bacolod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bacolod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,232 in Phuket, $624 in Bacolod – roughly 97% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $936 in Bacolod. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacolod, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $13.00 in Bacolod. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 79% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bacolod, where all-in costs run around $624, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Bacolod it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $624 in Bacolod to $1,232 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bacolod. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.