Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bataan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bataan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $599 in Bataan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $990 in Bataan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,381 in Bataan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 111% more expensive than Bataan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bataan 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$1.46 ₱88.5

212.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$17.76 ₱1,078

162.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.03 ₱184

179.54%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.53 ₱93.1

98.04%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.88 ₱53.3

-21.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.26 ₱15.64

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.49 ₱90.3

67.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.70 ₱164

35.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.87 ₱114

16.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.41 ₱85.6

34.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.01 ₱61.4

117.82%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.99 ₱121

11.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.22 ₱499

143.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.17 ₱253

-12.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.49 ₱637

26.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.97 ₱180

8.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.19 ₱133

-22.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.51 ₱213

-31.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.38 ₱83.9

50.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.39 ₱84.1

14.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.64 ₱161

-43.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.12 ₱67.8

-8.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.52 ₱31.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.54 ₱154

67.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.67 ₱527

116.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.14 ₱69.4

54.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.52 ₱153

9.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.28 ₱17.19

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$4.20 ₱255

170.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.82 ₱49.78

282.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.24 ₱14.66

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.19 ₱133

528.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.16 ₱70.6

15.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$28.1K ₱1.7M

-1.56%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$28.4K ₱1.7M

19.13%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$53.0 ₱3,216

133.32%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$23.36 ₱1,419

-42.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$26.45 ₱1,606

-29.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$34.15 ₱2,074

81.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$4.55 ₱276

279.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.26 ₱380

46.01%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$74.4 ₱4,515

845.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,398 ₱267.1K

260.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$46.18 ₱2,804

28.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$33.61 ₱2,041

4.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$68.7 ₱4,174

67.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$116 ₱7,049

-27.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$95.6 ₱5,806

546.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$58.4 ₱3,543

641.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$312 ₱18.9K

561.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$175 ₱10.6K

763.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$395 ₱24.0K

28.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.17

-13.61%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bataan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $95.6 in Bataan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 28% 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 $18.00 in Bataan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $219 per month, with Bataan 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 Bataan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bataan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 28% 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 $95.6 in Bataan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bataan – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $599 in Bataan versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bataan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bataan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bataan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bataan 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 Bataan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.