Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bulacan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bulacan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $718 in Bulacan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,050 in Bulacan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,383 in Bulacan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 76% more than Bulacan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Bulacan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Bulacan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.70 ₱167

74.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$14.10 ₱870

221.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$2.83 ₱174

197.88%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.22 ₱137

31.98%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.68 ₱41.84

1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.31 ₱18.92

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.04 ₱63.9

131.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.10 ₱129

77.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.11 ₱130

5.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.25 ₱77.0

46.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.92 ₱56.6

135.87%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.97 ₱121

12.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$3.04 ₱188

549.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.70 ₱228

-1.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.67 ₱411

102.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.07 ₱128

58.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.44 ₱88.6

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.14 ₱132

12.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.43 ₱88.2

45.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.74 ₱107

-12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.52 ₱93.6

-2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.88 ₱54.0

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.84 ₱52.1

-39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.87 ₱177

53.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$3.63 ₱224

433.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.09 ₱67.3

63.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.62 ₱100

67.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.29 ₱17.95

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$7.49 ₱462

52.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.76 ₱47.02

297.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.24 ₱14.84

312.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.72 ₱168

418.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.10 ₱67.6

23.64%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$27.1K ₱1.7M

4.11%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$14.7K ₱905.5K

124.06%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$113 ₱6,942

8.10%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$32.16 ₱1,983

-57.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$27.96 ₱1,724

-34.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$40.56 ₱2,501

48.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.40 ₱271

289.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.38 ₱393

36.21%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$106 ₱6,556

552.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,394 ₱270.9K

257.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$29.90 ₱1,844

99.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$23.35 ₱1,440

48.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$75.8 ₱4,674

51.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$98.2 ₱6,052

-15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$255 ₱15.7K

140.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$135 ₱8,326

223.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$392 ₱24.1K

434.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$202 ₱12.4K

648.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,907 ₱117.6K

96.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,479 ₱91.2K

76.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$294 ₱18.1K

72.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.17

-13.61%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bulacan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $255 in Bulacan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 73% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $14.00 in Bulacan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $165 – making Bulacan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bulacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 76% more than Bulacan, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,076 in Bulacan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulacan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Phuket and $718 in Bulacan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 52% less in Bulacan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bulacan, where all-in costs run around $718, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Bulacan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bulacan costs $718 versus $1,265 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bulacan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.