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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $765 in Boracay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,164 in Boracay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,562 in Boracay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than in Boracay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Boracay 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$5.47 ₱342

-16.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$19.41 ₱1,216

68.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.85 ₱366

52.14%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.25 ₱141

24.44%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.67 ₱41.82

31.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.23 ₱14.28

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.08 ₱67.6

121.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.93 ₱121

92.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.63 ₱102

9.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.08 ₱67.3

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.97 ₱60.6

62.89%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.88 ₱117

13.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$5.24 ₱328

280.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.01 ₱251

-14.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$7.61 ₱476

48.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.55 ₱159

15.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.55 ₱97.0

10.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.04 ₱128

13.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.99 ₱62.2

110.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$2.00 ₱125

-26.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.81 ₱113

-24.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.91 ₱56.8

20.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.61 ₱38.41

-6.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.37 ₱148

80.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$8.11 ₱508

127.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.00 ₱62.5

87.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.96 ₱123

48.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.25 ₱15.52

788.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$10.29 ₱644

122.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.76 ₱47.55

298.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.23 ₱14.22

365.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.70 ₱106

131.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.16 ₱72.6

28.45%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

32.99%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$19.9K ₱1.2M

38.04%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$111 ₱6,944

-7.30%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$15.94 ₱998

-31.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$34.58 ₱2,166

-49.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$34.63 ₱2,169

54.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$4.53 ₱284

147.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.23 ₱328

43.02%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$153 ₱9,564

264.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$8,190 ₱512.9K

44.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$29.35 ₱1,838

118.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$18.32 ₱1,147

58.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$61.6 ₱3,856

55.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$63.1 ₱3,950

43.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$270 ₱16.9K

170.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$175 ₱11.0K

185.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$504 ₱31.6K

314.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$358 ₱22.4K

238.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,625 ₱164.4K

36.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,058 ₱66.2K

137.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$235 ₱14.7K

114.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Boracay: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $270 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 114% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $178 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 64% in total monthly costs ($1,253 vs $765 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 114% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $270 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $765 in Boracay versus $1,253 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 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.