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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $651 in Batangas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $969 in Batangas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,288 in Batangas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 89% more expensive than Batangas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Batangas 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.43 ₱150

90.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$20.88 ₱1,288

124.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$2.59 ₱160

241.31%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.72 ₱106

74.42%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.83 ₱51.3

-10.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.37 ₱22.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.02 ₱62.8

139.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.34 ₱82.4

169.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.08 ₱128

8.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.20 ₱73.9

53.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.90 ₱55.6

148.89%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.85 ₱114

25.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.79 ₱296

310.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.16 ₱257

-12.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.33 ₱452

78.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.61 ₱161

29.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.57 ₱97.1

4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.60 ₱160

-7.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.62 ₱100

25.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.52 ₱155

-38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$4.13 ₱255

-63.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.40 ₱86.3

-27.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.02 ₱62.6

-51.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.91 ₱179

52.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.43 ₱458

154.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.92 ₱56.5

93.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.96 ₱121

40.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.26 ₱15.82

438.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.77 ₱47.56

305.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.27 ₱16.68

270.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.08 ₱128

577.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.09 ₱67.0

23.85%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$25.4K ₱1.6M

6.85%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

59.33%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$166 ₱10.2K

-24.63%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$19.22 ₱1,186

-29.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$29.85 ₱1,841

-37.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$27.00 ₱1,665

127.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$4.56 ₱281

269.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.17 ₱319

77.76%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$82.9 ₱5,111

742.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,392 ₱85.9K

1020.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$17.53 ₱1,081

229.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$26.41 ₱1,629

33.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$63.3 ₱3,902

78.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$44.55 ₱2,748

93.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$267 ₱16.5K

130.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$80.4 ₱4,961

454.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$177 ₱10.9K

1054.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$108 ₱6,680

1277.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,586 ₱159.5K

46.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,646 ₱101.5K

60.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$169 ₱10.4K

210.65%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Batangas: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $267 in Batangas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 211% 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 $21.00 in Batangas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $199 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 89% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $651 including rent). Batangas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 211% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $267 in Batangas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $651 in Batangas – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $651 in Batangas versus $1,232 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 89% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.