Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Batangas Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Batangas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $665 in Batangas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $973 in Batangas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,282 in Batangas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 90% more expensive than in Batangas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Batangas 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.34 ₱143

91.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$21.67 ₱1,330

110.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$2.61 ₱160

235.63%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.70 ₱104

74.71%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.82 ₱50.1

-15.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.37 ₱22.82

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$0.98 ₱60.2

158.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.39 ₱85.6

169.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$2.11 ₱129

1.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.24 ₱76.4

46.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$0.87 ₱53.6

150.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.89 ₱116

19.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$4.98 ₱306

301.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.23 ₱260

-14.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$7.08 ₱435

91.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.65 ₱163

22.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.54 ₱94.4

6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$2.73 ₱168

-14.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.70 ₱104

21.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.50 ₱153

-38.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$4.05 ₱249

-63.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.45 ₱89.1

-32.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$1.05 ₱64.5

-54.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.89 ₱177

50.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$7.91 ₱486

134.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$0.86 ₱52.9

116.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.05 ₱126

29.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.26 ₱15.93

446.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.83 ₱51.1

281.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.25 ₱15.17

312.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$2.19 ₱135

534.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.10 ₱67.8

21.82%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$26.0K ₱1.6M

7.01%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.4K ₱1.2M

63.98%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$162 ₱9,948

-24.05%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$19.09 ₱1,172

-27.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$29.60 ₱1,817

-38.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$27.76 ₱1,704

118.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$4.30 ₱264

299.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$5.30 ₱325

67.36%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$79.9 ₱4,907

760.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$1,412 ₱86.7K

1017.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$17.48 ₱1,073

239.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$27.00 ₱1,658

28.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$61.0 ₱3,743

88.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$43.85 ₱2,693

91.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$270 ₱16.6K

130.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$78.6 ₱4,826

467.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$178 ₱10.9K

1043.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$106 ₱6,514

1310.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$2,508 ₱154.0K

37.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,652 ₱101.4K

53.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$169 ₱10.4K

192.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.13

-34.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Batangas: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $270 in Batangas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 192% 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 $22.00 in Batangas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $202 per month, with Batangas 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 Batangas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Batangas differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $665 including rent). Batangas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 192% 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 $270 in Batangas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $665 in Batangas – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $665 in Batangas versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Batangas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Batangas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Batangas 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 Batangas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.