Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cabanatuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cabanatuan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $527 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,043 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,560 in Cabanatuan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 139% more than Cabanatuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Cabanatuan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Cabanatuan 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.50 ₱273

1.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$35.28 ₱2,142

32.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.57 ₱217

137.25%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.91 ₱177

4.12%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.85 ₱51.9

-18.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.48 ₱29.30

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.48 ₱89.7

68.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.59 ₱157

41.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.95 ₱119

11.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.61 ₱98.0

18.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.98 ₱59.6

124.49%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.02 ₱122

9.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$3.62 ₱220

452.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.15 ₱191

16.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.66 ₱404

98.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$4.19 ₱255

-22.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.28 ₱77.4

32.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.93 ₱117

23.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.77 ₱46.80

170.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.44 ₱87.3

10.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.45 ₱88.3

2.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.04 ₱62.9

-0.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.84 ₱51.2

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.87 ₱174

48.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.66 ₱344

231.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.75 ₱45.61

134.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.81 ₱110

52.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.28 ₱17.01

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.70 ₱42.34

348.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.22 ₱13.28

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$0.87 ₱52.9

1482.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.11 ₱67.6

20.72%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$28.5K ₱1.7M

-2.83%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$17.6K ₱1.1M

92.74%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$58.3 ₱3,538

112.14%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$21.16 ₱1,285

-36.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$25.19 ₱1,529

-25.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$12.32 ₱748

401.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$2.72 ₱165

534.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.73 ₱408

35.81%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$152 ₱9,245

361.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,256 ₱258.4K

272.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$26.79 ₱1,627

121.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$33.81 ₱2,053

3.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$61.0 ₱3,703

89.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$46.37 ₱2,816

81.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$268 ₱16.3K

131.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$44.88 ₱2,725

863.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$591 ₱35.9K

248.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$391 ₱23.7K

286.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$226 ₱13.7K

1059.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$206 ₱12.5K

145.70%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Cabanatuan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $268 in Cabanatuan. 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 146% 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Cabanatuan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $175 – making Cabanatuan 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 Cabanatuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,261 in Phuket, $527 in Cabanatuan – roughly 139% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $791 in Cabanatuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $35.00 in Cabanatuan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 68% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabanatuan, where all-in costs run around $527, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Cabanatuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $527 in Cabanatuan to $1,261 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Cabanatuan. 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.