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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $757 in Bayawan City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,157 in Bayawan City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,557 in Bayawan City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than in Bayawan City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Bayawan City 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.93 ₱184

50.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$23.27 ₱1,462

38.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$3.91 ₱246

128.39%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.49 ₱156

16.47%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.61 ₱38.46

44.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.52 ₱32.91

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.71 ₱108

37.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.20 ₱138

69.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.79 ₱112

4.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.12 ₱70.5

31.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.73 ₱45.74

112.33%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.96 ₱123

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$9.98 ₱627

96.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.35 ₱273

-21.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$7.57 ₱476

50.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$3.33 ₱209

-10.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.45 ₱91.1

15.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.33 ₱146

-5.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.49 ₱93.7

44.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$2.32 ₱146

-34.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.96 ₱123

-31.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.18 ₱74.2

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.66 ₱41.61

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.91 ₱183

46.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$4.70 ₱295

306.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.78 ₱48.93

128.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.71 ₱108

62.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.27 ₱17.06

725.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$10.33 ₱649

120.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.77 ₱48.58

293.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.20 ₱12.54

410.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.90 ₱119

104.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.08 ₱67.8

37.96%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

25.72%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

40.01%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$119 ₱7,446

-13.53%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$15.00 ₱942

-24.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$28.13 ₱1,768

-38.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$36.32 ₱2,282

43.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$4.38 ₱275

152.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$1.62 ₱102

374.69%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$135 ₱8,478

315.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$7,922 ₱497.7K

45.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$31.39 ₱1,972

100.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$19.13 ₱1,202

54.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$76.2 ₱4,785

28.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$54.9 ₱3,447

61.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$276 ₱17.4K

167.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$187 ₱11.8K

157.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$558 ₱35.1K

277.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$345 ₱21.7K

255.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$2,588 ₱162.6K

39.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$927 ₱58.2K

180.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$113 ₱7,107

336.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.2

-22.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Bayawan City: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $276 in Bayawan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 336% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Bayawan City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $197 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 63% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $757 including rent). Bayawan City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 336% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $276 in Bayawan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bayawan City – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $757 in Bayawan City versus $1,232 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 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.