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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,223 per month in Phuket vs $676 in Caloocan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,237 per month in Phuket vs $1,036 in Caloocan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,251 per month in Phuket vs $1,396 in Caloocan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 81% more than Caloocan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Caloocan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Caloocan 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$3.64 ₱219

23.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$13.54 ₱815

244.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$2.68 ₱161

216.79%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.13 ₱68.3

172.57%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.46 ₱27.95

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.38 ₱22.72

-5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.36 ₱82.1

78.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.00 ₱121

81.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.83 ₱110

19.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.25 ₱75.4

44.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.01 ₱60.7

120.79%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.99 ₱120

12.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$2.19 ₱132

794.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$2.92 ₱176

27.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$5.63 ₱339

139.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.01 ₱121

67.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.15 ₱69.5

40.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$2.23 ₱135

8.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.18 ₱70.9

68.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.23 ₱74.0

24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$2.21 ₱133

-34.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.68 ₱40.78

48.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.54 ₱32.67

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.30 ₱199

29.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$5.02 ₱303

280.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.07 ₱64.3

71.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.37 ₱142

15.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.20 ₱12.04

610.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.78 ₱46.68

284.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.24 ₱14.52

337.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$2.42 ₱146

474.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.15 ₱69.3

12.17%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$31.3K ₱1.9M

-10.46%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$20.3K ₱1.2M

65.21%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$59.2 ₱3,565

106.05%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$10.80 ₱651

28.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$26.28 ₱1,583

-28.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$5.45 ₱328

1024.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$4.54 ₱274

270.93%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$5.83 ₱351

52.49%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$152 ₱9,175

353.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$4,671 ₱281.3K

245.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$49.45 ₱2,978

16.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$27.59 ₱1,662

28.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$53.7 ₱3,232

111.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$46.85 ₱2,822

77.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$285 ₱17.2K

112.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$265 ₱16.0K

68.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$594 ₱35.8K

241.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$521 ₱31.4K

186.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$2,496 ₱150.3K

43.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$907 ₱54.6K

185.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$281 ₱16.9K

79.69%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Caloocan: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Phuket versus $285 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 80% 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 $14.00 in Caloocan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $150 – 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 81% 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 $1,835 per month in Phuket and $1,014 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 $47.00 in Phuket and $14.00 in Caloocan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 95% 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 $676, than in Phuket at $1,223. 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 $676 versus $1,223 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.