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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $696 in Calamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,181 in Calamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,665 in Calamba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 80% more expensive than in Calamba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Calamba 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.64 ₱224

25.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$13.16 ₱810

250.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$2.58 ₱159

242.64%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.39 ₱147

28.03%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.65 ₱40.01

12.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.41 ₱24.98

-2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.05 ₱64.6

131.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.00 ₱123

89.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.86 ₱115

21.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.19 ₱73.1

52.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.10 ₱67.8

104.55%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.29 ₱141

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.38 ₱578

108.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.82 ₱235

-4.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.37 ₱516

55.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.67 ₱164

20.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.86 ₱115

-12.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.37 ₱146

0.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.16 ₱71.4

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.82 ₱112

-15.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.19 ₱135

-31.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.68 ₱42.08

44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.72 ₱44.36

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.36 ₱207

32.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.77 ₱540

108.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.04 ₱63.8

78.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.34 ₱144

14.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.26 ₱15.88

442.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.87 ₱53.8

257.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.22 ₱13.53

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.42 ₱149

483.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.15 ₱70.8

13.91%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$32.0K ₱2.0M

-13.07%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

60.91%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$147 ₱9,069

-16.88%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$34.10 ₱2,099

-60.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$25.99 ₱1,600

-28.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$34.44 ₱2,120

75.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$4.56 ₱281

272.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.65 ₱348

60.53%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$153 ₱9,390

363.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,800 ₱295.5K

229.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$49.68 ₱3,058

17.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$27.12 ₱1,670

30.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$74.8 ₱4,605

54.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$46.97 ₱2,892

78.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$124 ₱7,616

405.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$81.2 ₱4,998

448.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$591 ₱36.4K

245.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$397 ₱24.4K

276.20%

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

$258 ₱15.9K

93.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.5

18.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Calamba: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $124 in Calamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 94% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $205 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 80% 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 94% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $124 in Calamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,250 per month in Phuket versus $696 in Calamba – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $696 in Calamba versus $1,250 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 $696 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 80% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.