Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Butuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Butuan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $734 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,121 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,507 in Butuan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 70% more expensive than in Butuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Butuan 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.51 ₱278

0.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$16.09 ₱991

187.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$2.37 ₱146

273.00%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.62 ₱99.8

88.89%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.33 ₱20.25

121.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.31 ₱19.13

29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.22 ₱75.1

99.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.80 ₱111

110.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.67 ₱103

35.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.07 ₱66.0

69.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.92 ₱56.9

144.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.08 ₱128

8.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$5.74 ₱353

239.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.62 ₱223

0.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.28 ₱448

79.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.45 ₱89.1

122.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.52 ₱31.95

211.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$0.90 ₱55.6

164.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.41 ₱87.0

43.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.18 ₱134

-29.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.16 ₱195

-52.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.32 ₱81.1

-25.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.57 ₱35.24

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.41 ₱149

84.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.92 ₱488

131.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.72 ₱44.55

158.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$0.92 ₱56.8

191.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.26 ₱15.84

442.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.70 ₱43.24

344.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.25 ₱15.46

316.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.14 ₱132

559.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.15 ₱70.5

13.91%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$21.9K ₱1.3M

27.23%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

58.50%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$105 ₱6,457

16.74%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$33.60 ₱2,069

-59.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$36.43 ₱2,243

-48.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$34.40 ₱2,118

75.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$4.46 ₱275

280.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.46 ₱275

103.36%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$69.6 ₱4,283

915.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$1,787 ₱110.0K

784.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$45.25 ₱2,786

29.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$10.00 ₱615

253.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$71.1 ₱4,380

62.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$69.4 ₱4,274

20.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$269 ₱16.6K

132.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$174 ₱10.7K

155.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$592 ₱36.5K

244.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$394 ₱24.2K

278.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.56

-44.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Butuan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $269 in Butuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $164 per month, with Butuan 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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,102 in Butuan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $269 in Butuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $69.6 in Butuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $734 in Butuan versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butuan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $734 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butuan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Butuan 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 Butuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.