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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $736 in Bacolod, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,190 in Bacolod, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,645 in Bacolod, rent included.

Phuket costs about 72% more than Bacolod, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Bacolod are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Bacolod 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.24 ₱138

109.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$17.17 ₱1,060

164.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.97 ₱245

112.34%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.96 ₱183

-1.01%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.64 ₱101

-57.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$1.21 ₱74.9

-69.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.28 ₱78.8

88.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.94 ₱119

91.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.73 ₱107

28.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.25 ₱76.8

46.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.91 ₱55.9

138.46%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.77 ₱109

24.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.64 ₱595

104.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.62 ₱470

-52.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.76 ₱479

74.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.85 ₱238

-14.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.73 ₱168

-41.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.58 ₱159

-6.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.65 ₱39.85

220.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.32 ₱143

-34.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.27 ₱140

-34.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.10 ₱67.9

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.13 ₱69.5

-54.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.05 ₱188

44.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.96 ₱59.1

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.99 ₱123

36.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.18 ₱10.86

661.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$10.62 ₱655

7.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.78 ₱48.43

287.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.24 ₱14.79

312.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.17 ₱134

549.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.24 ₱76.5

9.68%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$25.3K ₱1.6M

11.43%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.6K ₱1.9M

7.49%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$103 ₱6,364

17.99%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$35.67 ₱2,201

-61.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$27.89 ₱1,721

-34.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$26.22 ₱1,618

129.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$2.58 ₱159

564.34%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.86 ₱300

78.81%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$35.27 ₱2,176

1866.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$4,330 ₱267.2K

262.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$55.3 ₱3,412

7.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$26.06 ₱1,608

33.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$50.1 ₱3,090

128.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$43.72 ₱2,698

90.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$227 ₱14.0K

170.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$148 ₱9,161

194.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$495 ₱30.5K

323.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$430 ₱26.5K

250.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$207 ₱12.8K

145.83%

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 Bacolod: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $227 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 146% 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 $45.00 in Phuket versus $17.00 in Bacolod. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $218 – 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: $1,265 in Phuket, $736 in Bacolod – roughly 72% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,104 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.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Bacolod. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Phuket and $35.27 in Bacolod. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bacolod, where all-in costs run around $736, than in Phuket at $1,265. 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 $736 in Bacolod to $1,265 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.