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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $788 in Baguio.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,139 in Baguio.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,490 in Baguio.

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than Baguio, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Baguio 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.57 ₱217

27.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$13.22 ₱802

252.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$2.65 ₱161

219.62%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.36 ₱143

28.39%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.69 ₱41.93

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.37 ₱22.55

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.44 ₱87.5

72.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.90 ₱115

92.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.89 ₱115

15.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.23 ₱74.8

54.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.08 ₱65.3

103.70%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.26 ₱137

-1.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.14 ₱555

118.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.91 ₱237

-6.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$8.75 ₱531

51.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.64 ₱160

22.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.80 ₱109

-5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.31 ₱140

3.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.16 ₱70.2

79.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.84 ₱112

-13.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.29 ₱139

-35.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.67 ₱40.39

53.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.76 ₱46.15

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.34 ₱203

27.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.91 ₱541

110.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.04 ₱63.1

69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.32 ₱141

18.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.28 ₱17.11

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$10.58 ₱642

7.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.85 ₱51.7

269.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.22 ₱13.32

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.36 ₱143

483.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.10 ₱67.1

21.82%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$31.9K ₱1.9M

-13.25%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.5K ₱1.2M

65.37%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$146 ₱8,846

-15.17%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$35.30 ₱2,143

-61.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$26.09 ₱1,584

-28.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$21.90 ₱1,330

182.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$4.05 ₱246

325.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.82 ₱353

57.04%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$154 ₱9,378

354.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,658 ₱282.9K

240.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$48.66 ₱2,955

22.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$28.00 ₱1,700

25.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$76.2 ₱4,624

51.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$46.62 ₱2,831

80.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$340 ₱20.7K

81.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$142 ₱8,635

204.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$552 ₱33.5K

273.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$264 ₱16.1K

471.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,390 ₱145.1K

52.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$933 ₱56.7K

181.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$184 ₱11.2K

174.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.5

18.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Baguio: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $340 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Baguio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $206 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 60% 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.

Phuket pays 175% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $340 in Baguio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $788 in Baguio – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baguio runs roughly 7% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $788 in Baguio versus $1,261 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 $788 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 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.