Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Caloocan

For one person, living is cheaper in Caloocan: $496 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Caloocan
Learn more

Caloocan Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Caloocan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Caloocan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Caloocan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $496 in Caloocan, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Caloocan $496

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $665 in Caloocan, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Caloocan $665

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $834 in Caloocan, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Caloocan $834

Phuket costs about 158% more than Caloocan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Caloocan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Caloocan 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.70 ₱172

65.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$16.45 ₱1,047

97.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$2.26 ₱144

289.82%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$0.84 ₱53.3

236.90%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.39 ₱25.06

123.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.32 ₱20.69

53.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.01 ₱64.2

153.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.59 ₱101

131.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.65 ₱105

0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.11 ₱70.7

31.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.99 ₱63.1

51.52%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.79 ₱114

16.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$4.93 ₱314

286.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.32 ₱211

-0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.69 ₱490

41.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.23 ₱142

31.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.97 ₱61.5

74.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.34 ₱149

-3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.04 ₱66.6

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.06 ₱67.8

42.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.77 ₱113

-22.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.65 ₱41.37

64.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.46 ₱29.14

13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.82 ₱180

48.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$4.82 ₱307

289.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.96 ₱61.2

89.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.02 ₱129

40.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.20 ₱12.68

625.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.77 ₱48.99

292.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.22 ₱13.96

363.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.85 ₱118

99.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.07 ₱67.9

37.38%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$21.4K ₱1.4M

25.36%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

39.22%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$53.6 ₱3,414

79.76%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$9.42 ₱600

19.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$22.59 ₱1,439

-25.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$4.82 ₱307

1294.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.12 ₱326

46.48%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$130 ₱8,275

266.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$10.6K ₱672.9K

6.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$28.20 ₱1,796

121.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$19.52 ₱1,243

45.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$53.9 ₱3,431

75.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$47.64 ₱3,034

80.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$209 ₱13.3K

242.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$118 ₱7,488

317.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$307 ₱19.6K

63.53%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Caloocan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Caloocan

$118 23.7% 76.1% $373

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Caloocan

$158 31.9% 40.7% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Caloocan

$86 17.3% 31.2% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Caloocan

$67 13.6% 44.9% $55

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Caloocan

$50 10% 59.3% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Caloocan

$15 3% 81.7% $67

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Caloocan

$2.7 * 0.5% 96.2% $68

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $209 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 64% 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 in Phuket versus $16 in Caloocan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $158 – making Caloocan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇭 Caloocan

🕒 Local time

08:41 8:41 AM

09:41 9:41 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,661,584

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Caloocan 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Caloocan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 158% more than Caloocan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $743 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $16 in Caloocan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Caloocan, where all-in costs run around $496, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Caloocan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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