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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $671 in Batangas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $973 in Batangas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,274 in Batangas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 88% more expensive than Batangas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Batangas 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.34 ₱142

94.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$21.41 ₱1,300

117.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$2.68 ₱163

216.04%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.72 ₱105

76.16%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.81 ₱49.39

-14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.38 ₱22.93

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.02 ₱62.0

144.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.35 ₱81.9

171.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.16 ₱131

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.20 ₱72.8

58.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.82 ₱49.94

168.29%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.89 ₱115

17.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$4.72 ₱287

323.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.30 ₱261

-14.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.35 ₱446

80.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.73 ₱165

18.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.59 ₱96.4

6.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.69 ₱163

-11.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.65 ₱99.9

26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.56 ₱155

-37.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$4.12 ₱250

-64.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.40 ₱85.2

-26.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.04 ₱63.2

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.79 ₱169

52.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$7.37 ₱448

154.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.93 ₱56.3

89.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.96 ₱119

40.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.28 ₱17.05

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.79 ₱47.90

297.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.27 ₱16.46

285.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.17 ₱132

534.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.11 ₱67.3

20.72%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$25.2K ₱1.5M

9.86%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.3K ₱1.2M

66.43%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$161 ₱9,803

-23.45%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$19.08 ₱1,159

-29.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$29.35 ₱1,782

-36.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$27.72 ₱1,683

123.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$4.45 ₱270

287.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.40 ₱328

69.26%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$81.4 ₱4,943

763.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,405 ₱85.3K

1029.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$17.83 ₱1,082

233.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$26.73 ₱1,623

31.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$61.1 ₱3,711

88.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$44.47 ₱2,700

89.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$261 ₱15.8K

137.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$80.9 ₱4,912

434.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$177 ₱10.8K

1062.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$105 ₱6,349

1345.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,634 ₱159.9K

38.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,652 ₱100.3K

58.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$168 ₱10.2K

200.93%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Batangas: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $261 in Batangas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 201% 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 $293 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 88% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $671 including rent). Batangas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 201% 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 $261 in Batangas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $671 in Batangas – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $671 in Batangas versus $1,261 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 88% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.