Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bayawan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bayawan City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $791 in Bayawan City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,273 in Bayawan City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,756 in Bayawan City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than Bayawan City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bayawan City 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.53 ₱275

0.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$24.17 ₱1,468

92.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.45 ₱270

90.34%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.53 ₱154

19.76%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.78 ₱47.62

-11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.42 ₱25.46

-11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.56 ₱94.9

59.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.18 ₱133

67.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.00 ₱121

9.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.50 ₱91.3

26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.76 ₱46.36

189.47%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.35 ₱143

-5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$12.72 ₱772

57.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.36 ₱325

-31.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.88 ₱478

68.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.45 ₱209

-6.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.53 ₱93.2

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.40 ₱207

-29.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.26 ₱137

-7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.63 ₱160

-39.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.54 ₱154

-41.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.99 ₱60.3

4.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.79 ₱47.79

-34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.13 ₱190

35.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.01 ₱304

275.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.85 ₱51.3

107.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.25 ₱137

22.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.28 ₱17.03

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.84 ₱50.9

273.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.23 ₱13.90

352.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.65 ₱161

419.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.15 ₱69.6

16.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$29.6K ₱1.8M

-6.56%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$27.0K ₱1.6M

25.54%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$97.9 ₱5,942

26.31%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$34.62 ₱2,102

-60.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$29.41 ₱1,786

-36.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$33.80 ₱2,052

82.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$4.45 ₱270

287.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$1.79 ₱108

410.61%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$233 ₱14.1K

201.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,874 ₱235.2K

309.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$45.22 ₱2,746

31.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$23.20 ₱1,408

51.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$76.6 ₱4,649

50.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$56.1 ₱3,404

49.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$261 ₱15.8K

137.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$176 ₱10.7K

146.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$595 ₱36.1K

246.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$396 ₱24.0K

281.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,564 ₱155.7K

42.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$981 ₱59.5K

167.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$113 ₱6,868

348.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bayawan City: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Phuket pays 348% 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 $24.00 in Bayawan City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $233 per month, with Bayawan City 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 Bayawan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Bayawan City differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $791 including rent). Bayawan City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 348% 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 Bayawan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $233 in Bayawan City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bayawan City – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $791 in Bayawan City versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bayawan City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bayawan City 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 Bayawan City 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 Bayawan City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.