Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bayawan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Bayawan City: $723 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Bayawan City
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Bayawan City Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Bayawan City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bayawan City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Bayawan City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $723 in Bayawan City.

Phuket $1,294
Bayawan City $723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,126 in Bayawan City.

Phuket $2,204
Bayawan City $1,126

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,529 in Bayawan City.

Phuket $3,115
Bayawan City $1,529

Living in Phuket is roughly 79% more expensive than in Bayawan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Bayawan City 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$3.83 ₱244

14.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$23.91 ₱1,520

35.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$3.98 ₱253

118.59%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$2.56 ₱163

6.25%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$0.64 ₱40.51

45.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$0.46 ₱29.38

8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$1.67 ₱106

51.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$2.25 ₱143

61.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$1.76 ₱112

-1.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$1.13 ₱71.9

28.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.68 ₱43.17

120.59%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$1.93 ₱123

12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$4.73 ₱301

303.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$4.28 ₱272

-20.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$7.21 ₱458

51.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$3.26 ₱207

-9.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.31 ₱83.5

29.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$2.36 ₱150

-7.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$1.49 ₱94.8

42.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$2.28 ₱145

-35.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$1.86 ₱118

-26.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$1.06 ₱67.5

1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$0.65 ₱41.21

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$2.95 ₱188

50.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$4.72 ₱300

286.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$0.75 ₱47.75

136.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$1.69 ₱107

70.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

$0.24 ₱15.28

504.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

$12.18 ₱775

350.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.78 ₱49.63

93.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

$0.22 ₱14.00

254.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$1.89 ₱120

103.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.07 ₱68.2

39.25%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$21.4K ₱1.4M

25.86%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

39.36%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$116 ₱7,389

-15.84%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$15.66 ₱995

-27.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$27.67 ₱1,759

-37.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$31.14 ₱1,980

119.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$5.31 ₱338

105.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$1.55 ₱98.3

379.35%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$128 ₱8,152

313.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$7,957 ₱505.9K

136.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$32.82 ₱2,087

87.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$19.53 ₱1,242

44.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$73.9 ₱4,700

29.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$57.4 ₱3,647

51.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$246 ₱15.6K

193.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$164 ₱10.4K

210.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$493 ₱31.4K

295.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$347 ₱22.1K

302.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$2,664 ₱169.4K

57.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

$1,112 ₱70.7K

196.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$110 ₱7,022

345.08%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bayawan City: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Bayawan City

$164 22.7% 67.8% $345

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Bayawan City

$177 24.5% 33.8% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Bayawan City

$160 22.1% 26.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Bayawan City

$83 11.4% 32.7% $40

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Bayawan City

$91 12.5% 24.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Bayawan City

$34 4.7% 58.8% $49

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Bayawan City

$15 2.1% 77.3% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $246 in Bayawan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 4.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $24 in Bayawan City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $177 per month, with Bayawan City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇭 Bayawan City

🕒 Local time

07:09 7:09 AM

08:09 8:09 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

122,747

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.57 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Bayawan City 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bayawan City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $723 in Bayawan City, so Bayawan City is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Phuket is about 4.5 times higher, 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: $721 in Phuket versus $246 in Bayawan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% 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 $24 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $723 in Bayawan City versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

Expats usually find Bayawan City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.