Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cavite

For one person, living is cheaper in Cavite: $564 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Cavite, Philippines
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Cavite
🇵🇭 Philippines
$564
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Cavite

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 Cavite actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $564 in Cavite, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Cavite $564

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $879 in Cavite, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Cavite $879

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,194 in Cavite, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Cavite $1,194

Phuket costs about 127% more than Cavite, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Cavite are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Cavite 59% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Cavite
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$2.34 ₱149
91.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$15.86 ₱1,014
104.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$2.26 ₱144
289.82%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$1.77 ₱113
59.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$0.58 ₱37.32
50.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$0.33 ₱21.18
48.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$0.95 ₱60.5
169.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$1.54 ₱98.7
138.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Cavite
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.38 ₱88.1
20.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$1.09 ₱69.6
33.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$0.89 ₱56.9
68.54%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.95 ₱125
7.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$5.10 ₱326
273.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$3.40 ₱217
-2.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$6.12 ₱391
78.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$2.03 ₱130
44.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.06 ₱67.7
59.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.34 ₱150
-3.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$1.05 ₱67.4
98.10%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.66 ₱106
-9.04%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$1.45 ₱92.4
-4.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$0.49 ₱31.23
118.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.48 ₱30.64
8.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$1.99 ₱127
111.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$4.61 ₱295
307.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$0.92 ₱58.8
97.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$1.27 ₱81.3
123.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Cavite
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$13.30 ₱850
326.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$0.65 ₱41.74
364.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$0.24 ₱15.36
325.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$1.93 ₱123
91.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.17 ₱74.5
25.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$20.6K ₱1.3M
30.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$19.2K ₱1.2M
38.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Cavite
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$88.2 ₱5,633
9.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$13.52 ₱864
-16.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$23.40 ₱1,495
-27.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Cavite
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$46.02 ₱2,940
46.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$5.03 ₱321
49.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Cavite
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$131 ₱8,387
262.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$10.6K ₱679.7K
5.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Cavite
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$28.81 ₱1,840
116.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$19.03 ₱1,216
49.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$71.4 ₱4,563
32.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$54.4 ₱3,477
57.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Cavite
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$134 ₱8,555
434.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$81.0 ₱5,177
505.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$238 ₱15.2K
709.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$191 ₱12.2K
648.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Cavite
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$222 ₱14.2K
126.38%
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 Cavite: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Cavite
$81 83.5% $410
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Cavite
$150 43.7% $116
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Cavite
$125 0.5% $0.6
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Cavite
$78 35.9% $44
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Cavite
$58 52.2% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Cavite
$56 31.8% $26
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Cavite
$15 * 78.5% $55

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 $134 in Cavite. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Phuket are about 2.3 times higher, 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 Cavite. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $150 – making Cavite the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇭 Cavite
🕒 Local time
01:39 1:39 AM
02:39 2:39 AM
1 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
100,674
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Cavite 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Cavite

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 Cavite: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cavite cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 127%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $845 in Cavite. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cavite, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $134 there versus $716 in Phuket.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in Cavite?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $564 in Cavite. That’s a gap of about 127%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 77% less in Cavite. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Cavite?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cavite, where all-in costs run around $564, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Cavite it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Cavite more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Cavite – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Cavite. 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.

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