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 $675 in Caloocan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,053 in Caloocan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,432 in Caloocan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 82% more than Caloocan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Caloocan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Caloocan 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.56 ₱220

30.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$13.50 ₱832

246.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$2.71 ₱167

226.20%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.13 ₱70.0

165.49%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.47 ₱29.00

57.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.37 ₱22.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.35 ₱83.4

80.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.96 ₱121

84.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.90 ₱117

18.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.19 ₱73.4

54.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.04 ₱64.3

115.38%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.01 ₱124

15.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$2.17 ₱134

806.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.81 ₱173

29.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$5.50 ₱340

138.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.05 ₱127

65.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.10 ₱67.7

49.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.34 ₱144

2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.22 ₱75.5

66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.22 ₱75.2

27.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.29 ₱141

-34.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.72 ₱44.52

41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.59 ₱36.23

-16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.18 ₱196

39.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.98 ₱307

279.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.08 ₱66.6

64.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.28 ₱141

20.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.22 ₱13.60

536.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.79 ₱48.55

294.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.24 ₱14.82

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.32 ₱143

507.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.11 ₱68.2

21.62%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$32.5K ₱2.0M

-16.39%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

59.13%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$61.0 ₱3,763

104.85%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.60 ₱654

28.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$26.26 ₱1,620

-29.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$5.20 ₱321

1082.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$4.41 ₱272

281.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.84 ₱360

57.36%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$150 ₱9,272

364.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,807 ₱296.5K

224.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$48.06 ₱2,964

20.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$27.23 ₱1,679

29.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$53.2 ₱3,281

112.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$47.05 ₱2,902

83.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$284 ₱17.5K

116.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$264 ₱16.3K

69.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$592 ₱36.5K

245.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$526 ₱32.4K

183.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,325 ₱143.4K

62.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$275 ₱16.9K

90.68%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Caloocan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $284 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 91% 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 $13.00 in Caloocan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $151 – 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 82% 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 $1,013 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 $13.00 in Caloocan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 94% 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 $675, 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 $675 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.