Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Baguio Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Baguio

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $766 in Baguio.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,168 in Baguio.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,570 in Baguio.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than in Baguio, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Baguio 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.03 ₱253

9.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$16.53 ₱1,037

95.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$2.77 ₱174

222.38%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.84 ₱116

57.61%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.60 ₱37.76

46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.33 ₱20.84

45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.03 ₱64.3

128.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.57 ₱98.3

136.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.66 ₱104

12.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.15 ₱72.2

27.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.01 ₱63.3

53.47%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.02 ₱127

3.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$4.99 ₱313

292.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.47 ₱218

-1.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$7.80 ₱489

45.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.31 ₱145

29.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.53 ₱95.8

9.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.30 ₱145

-3.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.04 ₱65.1

107.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.65 ₱104

-7.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.77 ₱111

-24.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.67 ₱41.75

68.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.52 ₱32.90

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.98 ₱187

42.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.49 ₱533

124.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.96 ₱60.2

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.04 ₱128

36.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.23 ₱14.36

869.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$12.81 ₱803

77.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.81 ₱50.9

274.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.23 ₱14.37

343.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.88 ₱118

106.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.20 ₱75.0

24.17%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$21.5K ₱1.3M

23.77%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

41.85%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$138 ₱8,659

-25.78%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$17.68 ₱1,109

-35.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$23.45 ₱1,471

-25.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$21.64 ₱1,357

140.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$5.27 ₱331

110.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.13 ₱322

49.90%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$131 ₱8,230

327.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$10.8K ₱674.6K

6.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$29.37 ₱1,842

114.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$19.10 ₱1,198

54.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$72.9 ₱4,569

34.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$56.0 ₱3,510

58.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$399 ₱25.0K

84.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$200 ₱12.5K

141.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$853 ₱53.5K

146.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$463 ₱29.0K

164.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,603 ₱163.3K

38.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$928 ₱58.2K

180.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$179 ₱11.3K

175.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Baguio: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $399 in Baguio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 175% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $174 per month, with Baguio 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 Baguio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 175% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $399 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $766 in Baguio – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 78% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $766 in Baguio versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baguio but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Baguio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baguio delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $766 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baguio hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Baguio 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 Baguio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.