Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Calbayog Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Calbayog

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $695 in Calbayog, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,060 in Calbayog, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,425 in Calbayog, rent included.

Phuket costs about 77% more than Calbayog, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Calbayog are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Calbayog 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.61 ₱223

28.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$18.04 ₱1,113

159.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.36 ₱207

163.10%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.47 ₱152

21.46%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.79 ₱48.47

-6.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.37 ₱22.59

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.36 ₱83.8

79.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.10 ₱129

71.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.35 ₱83.4

67.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.27 ₱78.2

44.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.00 ₱61.7

124.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.10 ₱129

10.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.84 ₱484

150.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.84 ₱237

-4.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.61 ₱469

72.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.66 ₱102

104.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.93 ₱57.2

76.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.59 ₱160

-6.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.55 ₱95.8

30.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.28 ₱141

-31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.64 ₱163

-43.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.12 ₱69.2

-8.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.70 ₱43.46

-30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.36 ₱269

2.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.77 ₱356

227.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.77 ₱47.20

131.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.00 ₱61.7

175.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.26 ₱16.00

438.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$20.88 ₱1,288

-45.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.79 ₱48.52

294.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.24 ₱14.89

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.15 ₱133

555.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.54 ₱95.0

-12.34%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.2K ₱1.6M

3.57%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.2K ₱1.2M

62.71%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$111 ₱6,862

12.34%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$32.40 ₱1,998

-58.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$27.85 ₱1,718

-33.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$33.69 ₱2,078

82.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$4.56 ₱281

269.30%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.05 ₱373

51.90%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$154 ₱9,500

353.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,233 ₱261.1K

268.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$45.05 ₱2,779

28.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$26.15 ₱1,613

34.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$74.4 ₱4,586

52.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$52.3 ₱3,226

65.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$176 ₱10.9K

249.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$106 ₱6,565

319.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$341 ₱21.0K

501.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$187 ₱11.5K

699.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$525 ₱32.4K

620.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$502 ₱31.0K

427.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$154 ₱9,519

239.39%

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 Calbayog: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $176 in Calbayog. 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 239% 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $18.00 in Calbayog. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $179 – making Calbayog 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 Calbayog: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 77%, 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,042 in Calbayog. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 64% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $18.00 in Calbayog. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Calbayog, where all-in costs run around $695, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Calbayog it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Calbayog – 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 Calbayog. 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.