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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $602 in Bataan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $994 in Bataan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,386 in Bataan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 110% more expensive than in Bataan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Bataan 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.44 ₱88.3

211.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$17.43 ₱1,067

161.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$2.99 ₱183

192.98%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.48 ₱90.8

100.68%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.81 ₱49.45

-14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.26 ₱15.90

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.48 ₱90.3

70.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.60 ₱159

44.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.79 ₱110

20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.44 ₱88.2

26.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.99 ₱60.6

120.20%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.01 ₱123

11.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.10 ₱496

146.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.04 ₱247

-10.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.79 ₱660

25.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.88 ₱176

12.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.08 ₱127

-21.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.64 ₱223

-35.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.46 ₱89.2

41.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.45 ₱88.6

6.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.53 ₱155

-42.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.08 ₱65.8

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.55 ₱33.40

-12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.44 ₱149

78.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.89 ₱544

108.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.08 ₱66.4

72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.50 ₱153

6.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.26 ₱15.88

446.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$4.20 ₱257

175.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.83 ₱50.9

281.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.22 ₱13.40

368.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.14 ₱131

549.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.17 ₱71.5

14.53%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$28.2K ₱1.7M

-1.38%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$28.7K ₱1.8M

16.23%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$53.1 ₱3,251

131.73%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$23.13 ₱1,416

-40.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$26.33 ₱1,612

-30.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$34.38 ₱2,105

76.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.54 ₱278

277.97%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.31 ₱386

40.57%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$74.4 ₱4,556

824.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,358 ₱266.7K

262.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$46.59 ₱2,852

27.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$34.10 ₱2,087

1.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$69.0 ₱4,222

67.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$116 ₱7,077

-27.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$98.5 ₱6,028

530.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$57.9 ₱3,544

670.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$315 ₱19.3K

546.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$170 ₱10.4K

781.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$407 ₱24.9K

21.41%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bataan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $98.5 in Bataan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 21% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Bataan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $218 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 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $98.5 in Bataan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% 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 $17.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $602 in Bataan versus $1,264 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 110% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.