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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $723 in Calamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,179 in Calamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,636 in Calamba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 75% more expensive than Calamba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Calamba 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.58 ₱221

31.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$13.48 ₱831

236.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$2.58 ₱159

226.74%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.35 ₱145

24.68%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.69 ₱42.53

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.40 ₱24.83

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.00 ₱61.9

141.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.98 ₱122

87.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.85 ₱114

20.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.21 ₱74.5

51.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.08 ₱66.4

100.93%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.20 ₱136

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.44 ₱582

109.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.71 ₱229

-2.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.67 ₱535

56.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.71 ₱167

21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.78 ₱110

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.36 ₱146

2.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.22 ₱75.2

70.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.83 ₱113

-16.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.19 ₱135

-32.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.68 ₱42.15

45.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.77 ₱47.33

-33.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.30 ₱203

33.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.66 ₱534

123.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.03 ₱63.3

72.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.34 ₱144

15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.26 ₱15.98

426.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.90 ₱55.8

235.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.22 ₱13.54

350.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.41 ₱149

485.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.12 ₱69.1

21.43%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$31.3K ₱1.9M

-9.88%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.1K ₱1.2M

63.82%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$144 ₱8,890

-15.59%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$34.60 ₱2,134

-60.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$26.46 ₱1,632

-30.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$33.99 ₱2,096

77.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.41 ₱272

288.66%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.80 ₱358

49.83%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$153 ₱9,416

354.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,663 ₱287.5K

236.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$49.35 ₱3,043

20.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$28.02 ₱1,728

24.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$76.5 ₱4,718

49.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$47.46 ₱2,926

75.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$123 ₱7,577

399.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$79.2 ₱4,882

452.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$587 ₱36.2K

256.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$391 ₱24.1K

285.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,695 ₱166.2K

39.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,000 ₱61.6K

161.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$257 ₱15.8K

97.95%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Calamba: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $123 in Calamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 98% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 75% 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.

Phuket pays 98% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $123 in Calamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $723 in Calamba – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $723 in Calamba versus $1,265 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 $723 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 75% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.