Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cagayan de Oro City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cagayan de Oro City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $797 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,156 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $1,515 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than in Cagayan de Oro City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cagayan de Oro City 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$3.52 ₱217

25.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$12.75 ₱786

175.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$3.04 ₱187

194.74%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.35 ₱145

27.66%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.72 ₱44.08

6.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.85 ₱52.4

-44.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$1.44 ₱89.0

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.05 ₱126

82.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.49 ₱91.6

22.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$0.84 ₱52.1

69.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$0.95 ₱58.4

63.16%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.23 ₱138

-4.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$8.51 ₱524

132.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$3.32 ₱205

4.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$5.93 ₱366

87.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$2.14 ₱132

35.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.09 ₱67.5

52.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$2.84 ₱175

-20.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.17 ₱72.0

79.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$2.20 ₱136

-33.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$2.57 ₱158

-45.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.82 ₱50.7

32.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.48 ₱29.67

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$2.92 ₱180

53.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$4.07 ₱251

359.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.59 ₱98.0

15.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$1.95 ₱120

51.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.39 ₱23.74

479.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$10.04 ₱619

129.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.67 ₱41.55

353.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.23 ₱14.22

373.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$3.91 ₱241

-2.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.02 ₱63.0

46.08%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

28.87%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

35.12%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$136 ₱8,354

-24.87%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$23.21 ₱1,430

-51.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$30.77 ₱1,897

-42.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$20.64 ₱1,272

162.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$2.77 ₱170

295.67%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$4.46 ₱275

76.01%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$68.1 ₱4,196

747.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$2,270 ₱139.9K

412.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$33.06 ₱2,038

97.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$13.70 ₱845

110.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$52.2 ₱3,218

89.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$40.33 ₱2,486

123.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$388 ₱23.9K

94.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$228 ₱14.0K

113.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$710 ₱43.8K

193.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$456 ₱28.1K

164.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$1,668 ₱102.8K

115.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$983 ₱60.6K

165.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$317 ₱19.6K

58.19%

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 18, 2026

Last update for Cagayan de Oro City: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $388 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 58% 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: $35.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Cagayan de Oro City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $171 per month, with Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Cagayan de Oro City differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $797 including rent). Cagayan de Oro City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% 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: $756 in Phuket versus $388 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cagayan de Oro City – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $35.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $797 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cagayan de Oro City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City 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 Cagayan de Oro City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.