Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bacolod

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacolod: $598 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bacolod

🇵🇭 Philippines

$598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bacolod

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Bacolod actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $598 in Bacolod, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Bacolod $598

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $867 in Bacolod, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Bacolod $867

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,135 in Bacolod, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Bacolod $1,135

Phuket costs about 114% more than Bacolod, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Bacolod are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Bacolod 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.36 ₱150

89.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$12.74 ₱808

154.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.90 ₱247

125.90%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.30 ₱146

23.04%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.67 ₱42.59

29.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.36 ₱23.09

36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$1.31 ₱83.1

95.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.84 ₱117

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.50 ₱95.1

10.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.09 ₱69.3

33.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.95 ₱60.4

57.89%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.58 ₱100

32.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$8.64 ₱548

120.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.47 ₱410

-49.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$3.45 ₱219

-15.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$2.39 ₱152

-29.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.56 ₱35.64

271.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.97 ₱125

-29.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.00 ₱63.6

-48.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.73 ₱173

53.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$0.88 ₱55.5

106.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.17 ₱10.58

752.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.65 ₱41.09

364.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.25 ₱79.1

17.60%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

25.90%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$22.9K ₱1.4M

16.67%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$137 ₱8,713

-29.91%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$7.72 ₱489

45.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$27.18 ₱1,723

-38.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$15.83 ₱1,003

324.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$2.33 ₱148

360.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.44 ₱282

68.92%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$31.16 ₱1,975

1427.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$257 ₱16.3K

178.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$178 ₱11.3K

175.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$466 ₱29.5K

313.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$339 ₱21.5K

322.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$202 ₱12.8K

148.87%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bacolod: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Bacolod

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Bacolod

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Bacolod

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bacolod

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bacolod

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Bacolod

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Bacolod

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $257 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 in Phuket are about 2.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $13 in Bacolod. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $149 – making Bacolod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇭 Bacolod

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

14:59 2:59 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

561,875

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.38 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.04 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Bacolod 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bacolod

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

Phuket vs Bacolod: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $598 in Bacolod – Bacolod comes out roughly 53% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $898 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $257 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $13 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 the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bacolod, where all-in costs run around $598, than in Phuket at $1,278. 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 $598 in Bacolod to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

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