Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Calamba Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Calamba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $528 in Calamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $775 in Calamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,021 in Calamba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 137% more expensive than in Calamba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Calamba 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.91 ₱245

16.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$12.20 ₱763

167.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$2.80 ₱175

217.86%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.78 ₱111

57.30%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.56 ₱35.07

57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.32 ₱19.98

53.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$0.88 ₱55.2

171.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.64 ₱102

126.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.68 ₱105

6.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.11 ₱69.4

29.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.01 ₱63.2

56.44%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.10 ₱131

1.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$5.05 ₱316

294.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$3.36 ₱210

2.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$7.70 ₱482

47.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.20 ₱138

34.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.61 ₱100

6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$2.31 ₱145

0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.05 ₱65.4

98.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$1.70 ₱106

-13.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.73 ₱108

-21.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.66 ₱41.13

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.50 ₱31.26

14.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.94 ₱184

45.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$8.65 ₱541

112.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.91 ₱56.8

105.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$2.00 ₱125

46.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.82 ₱51.4

269.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.25 ₱15.65

328.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.97 ₱123

99.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$0.94 ₱58.8

58.51%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

24.56%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

41.93%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$144 ₱8,992

-28.51%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$17.74 ₱1,110

-38.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$23.94 ₱1,497

-26.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.12 ₱320

46.09%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$135 ₱8,450

312.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$10.9K ₱684.6K

8.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$29.37 ₱1,836

118.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$19.59 ₱1,225

48.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$71.4 ₱4,462

34.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$55.8 ₱3,492

61.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$260 ₱16.3K

93.39%

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 31, 2026

Last update for Calamba: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Phuket pays 93% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $174 per month, with Calamba 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 Calamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 137% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 93% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,253 per month in Phuket versus $528 in Calamba – a 137% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $528 in Calamba versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calamba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Calamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calamba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $528 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calamba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Calamba 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 Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.