Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Calapan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Calapan City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $793 in Calapan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,233 in Calapan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $1,672 in Calapan City, rent included.

Phuket costs about 58% more than Calapan City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Calapan City are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Calapan City 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.65 ₱225

24.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$17.92 ₱1,103

157.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$3.33 ₱205

165.47%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.44 ₱150

25.41%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.76 ₱46.89

-3.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.37 ₱22.66

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.30 ₱80.3

86.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.19 ₱135

72.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.85 ₱114

22.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.27 ₱78.5

42.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.02 ₱63.1

120.59%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.99 ₱122

13.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.11 ₱499

140.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.20 ₱259

-13.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.63 ₱470

71.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.83 ₱174

14.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.54 ₱94.6

5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.71 ₱167

-12.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.56 ₱96.1

30.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.32 ₱143

-34.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.51 ₱154

-40.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.12 ₱69.1

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.71 ₱43.54

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.76 ₱170

60.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.21 ₱506

123.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.15 ₱70.6

61.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.07 ₱127

29.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.28 ₱17.31

403.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$14.11 ₱869

-17.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.77 ₱47.22

303.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.22 ₱13.46

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.08 ₱128

578.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.13 ₱69.6

15.93%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$26.4K ₱1.6M

5.17%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.2K ₱1.2M

64.12%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$112 ₱6,884

9.51%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$32.42 ₱1,996

-58.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$26.99 ₱1,661

-30.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$33.28 ₱2,049

81.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$4.39 ₱270

286.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.05 ₱372

49.92%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$151 ₱9,278

368.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,286 ₱263.9K

268.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$46.48 ₱2,862

25.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$26.67 ₱1,642

32.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$75.4 ₱4,644

53.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$53.0 ₱3,265

57.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$269 ₱16.6K

132.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$180 ₱11.1K

147.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$580 ₱35.7K

251.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$398 ₱24.5K

275.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,361 ₱145.4K

47.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$978 ₱60.2K

163.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$119 ₱7,324

320.15%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Calapan City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $269 in Calapan City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 320% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $18.00 in Calapan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $205 – making Calapan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Calapan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 58%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $1,190 in Calapan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Calapan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $18.00 in Calapan City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,250 in Phuket and $793 in Calapan City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calapan City, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Calapan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calapan City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Calapan City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.