Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Caloocan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Caloocan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $586 in Caloocan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $916 in Caloocan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $1,247 in Caloocan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 110% more than Caloocan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Caloocan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Caloocan 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.41 ₱151

82.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$16.60 ₱1,041

94.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$2.27 ₱142

293.39%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$0.94 ₱59.2

208.51%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.43 ₱26.89

104.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.31 ₱19.15

54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$0.94 ₱59.0

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.61 ₱101

131.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.61 ₱101

16.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.15 ₱72.1

27.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.93 ₱58.2

66.67%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.77 ₱111

18.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$1.86 ₱117

953.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.57 ₱161

33.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$5.14 ₱322

121.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.84 ₱115

61.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.02 ₱64.3

64.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.04 ₱128

8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.07 ₱67.3

101.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.13 ₱70.8

34.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.71 ₱107

-21.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.67 ₱42.10

68.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.52 ₱32.38

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.85 ₱179

49.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$4.64 ₱291

311.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.96 ₱60.3

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.00 ₱125

39.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.22 ₱13.65

913.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.75 ₱46.95

304.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.23 ₱14.40

343.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.88 ₱118

106.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.90 ₱56.6

65.56%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$21.6K ₱1.4M

23.24%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

41.69%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$53.0 ₱3,321

93.52%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$9.76 ₱612

16.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$23.11 ₱1,449

-24.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$4.83 ₱303

978.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.02 ₱315

53.19%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$132 ₱8,289

324.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$10.5K ₱661.4K

9.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$29.19 ₱1,831

115.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$19.37 ₱1,215

52.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$49.35 ₱3,095

98.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$42.84 ₱2,687

106.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$266 ₱16.7K

177.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$235 ₱14.8K

104.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$526 ₱33.0K

300.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$468 ₱29.4K

161.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$267 ₱16.8K

84.54%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Caloocan: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $266 in Caloocan. 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 85% 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $17.00 in Caloocan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $135 – making Caloocan 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 Caloocan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 110% more than Caloocan, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $878 in Caloocan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Caloocan, 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 $32.00 in Phuket and $17.00 in Caloocan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 103% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Caloocan, where all-in costs run around $586, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Caloocan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Caloocan costs $586 versus $1,232 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Caloocan. 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.