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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $763 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,111 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,460 in Cagayan de Oro City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than Cagayan de Oro City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cagayan de Oro City 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.71 ₱229

24.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$14.25 ₱879

228.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.31 ₱204

167.07%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.52 ₱155

19.05%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.02 ₱62.6

-27.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.35 ₱21.76

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.44 ₱88.6

69.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.42 ₱149

49.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.69 ₱105

33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.91 ₱56.4

102.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.91 ₱56.0

146.15%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.38 ₱147

-2.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.17 ₱381

218.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.67 ₱227

-0.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$6.45 ₱398

103.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.25 ₱139

50.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.14 ₱70.2

43.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.30 ₱142

4.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.28 ₱78.9

58.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.21 ₱136

-29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.88 ₱178

-47.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.92 ₱56.5

10.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.47 ₱28.77

4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.38 ₱146

86.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.14 ₱255

356.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.35 ₱83.3

31.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.55 ₱95.3

77.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.40 ₱24.79

250.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$8.48 ₱523

35.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.74 ₱45.90

321.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.24 ₱14.81

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.17 ₱134

549.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.15 ₱70.7

17.39%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.3K ₱1.3M

34.08%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$18.9K ₱1.2M

74.28%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$103 ₱6,333

21.72%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$40.09 ₱2,473

-66.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$33.57 ₱2,070

-44.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$21.83 ₱1,347

181.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$3.35 ₱207

402.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.61 ₱284

99.35%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$187 ₱11.5K

274.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$2,435 ₱150.2K

540.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$35.49 ₱2,189

62.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$14.31 ₱883

146.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$57.9 ₱3,571

95.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$42.76 ₱2,637

102.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$358 ₱22.1K

71.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$213 ₱13.1K

109.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$584 ₱36.0K

250.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$372 ₱23.0K

300.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,653 ₱102.0K

128.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,005 ₱62.0K

163.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$316 ₱19.5K

65.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cagayan de Oro City: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $358 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 66% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Cagayan de Oro City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $169 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 61% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $763 including rent). Cagayan de Oro City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 66% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $358 in Cagayan de Oro City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% 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 $14.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $763 in Cagayan de Oro City versus $1,232 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 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.