Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Boracay Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Boracay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $797 in Boracay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,392 in Boracay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,987 in Boracay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 57% more expensive than in Boracay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Boracay 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.16 ₱194

43.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,550

$21.07 ₱1,297

119.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.81 ₱296

83.78%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.37 ₱146

29.11%

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

$0.73 ฿24.36

$1.27 ₱78.4

-42.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.37

$0.26 ₱15.86

53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.6

$1.31 ₱80.5

85.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.17 ₱134

74.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿75.8

$1.80 ₱111

25.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$1.26 ₱77.4

43.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$0.87 ₱53.8

158.62%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.4

$2.60 ₱160

-13.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿655

$7.88 ₱485

147.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿122

$4.13 ₱254

-11.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿438

$7.83 ₱482

66.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.99 ₱184

8.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.48 ₱91.2

9.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.0

$2.58 ₱159

-7.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.0

$1.44 ₱88.6

40.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$1.79 ₱110

-14.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$2.60 ₱160

-42.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$1.06 ₱65.2

-7.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.36

$0.71 ₱43.94

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.87 ₱238

14.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿615

$8.26 ₱508

121.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.21 ₱74.6

53.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.0

$2.02 ₱125

32.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.37

$0.36 ₱22.34

291.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿104

$0.82 ₱50.7

279.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.00

$0.24 ₱14.80

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.07 ₱127

581.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.02

$1.28 ₱78.7

2.34%

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$26.6K ₱1.6M

4.58%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.5K ₱1.3M

62.00%

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

$122 ฿4,110

$117 ₱7,185

4.92%

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

$13.59 ฿456

$8.78 ₱540

54.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿628

$39.13 ₱2,409

-52.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,031

$53.7 ₱3,306

12.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

$4.30 ₱265

294.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.23 ₱261

114.42%

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

$706 ฿23.7K

$149 ₱9,181

373.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.5K

$4,041 ₱248.8K

291.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,965

$46.67 ₱2,873

25.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,187

$26.65 ₱1,641

32.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,876

$75.6 ₱4,654

52.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,811

$52.9 ₱3,254

58.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$261 ₱16.1K

139.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.9K

$179 ₱11.0K

148.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.5K

$581 ₱35.7K

251.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.1K

$742 ₱45.7K

101.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

$2,397 ₱147.6K

45.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

$957 ₱58.9K

169.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$238 ₱14.7K

109.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Boracay: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $261 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 110% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $204 per month, with Boracay 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 Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Boracay differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $797 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 110% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $261 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $149 in Boracay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $797 in Boracay versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boracay but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Boracay 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 Boracay 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 Boracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.