Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cotabato City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cotabato City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $724 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,154 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,584 in Cotabato City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 75% more expensive than Cotabato City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Cotabato City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.41 ₱272

6.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,491

$23.90 ₱1,473

89.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿277

$4.63 ₱285

82.07%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.3

$2.03 ₱125

44.33%

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

$0.69 ฿22.54

$0.87 ₱53.4

-20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.07

$0.53 ₱32.60

-30.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.2

$1.41 ₱86.8

70.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.75 ₱108

112.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.4

$1.04 ₱64.2

114.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.2

$0.34 ₱20.95

438.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.3

$0.91 ₱55.9

138.46%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.8

$2.01 ₱124

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿649

$5.86 ₱361

236.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.26 ₱201

11.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿445

$7.43 ₱458

82.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿108

$1.40 ₱86.4

134.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.0

$1.04 ₱64.1

54.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.2

$1.07 ₱66.1

125.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.5

$1.12 ₱69.0

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.3

$1.26 ₱77.9

21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.67

$1.50 ₱92.4

-1.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.50

$0.51 ₱31.14

94.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.78

$0.57 ₱34.95

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿145

$0.86 ₱52.8

412.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿637

$8.11 ₱500

138.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.5

$1.42 ₱87.3

25.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿89.1

$1.50 ₱92.3

80.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿45.07

$0.28 ₱17.27

389.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿375

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.3

$0.88 ₱54.1

243.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.69

$0.25 ₱15.49

296.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿463

$2.09 ₱129

574.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.79

$1.10 ₱68.1

23.64%

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

$28.2K ฿927.0K

$22.4K ₱1.4M

25.75%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

54.77%

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

$122 ฿4,000

$105 ₱6,483

15.71%

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

$13.57 ฿446

$34.22 ₱2,109

-60.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿602

$36.53 ₱2,252

-49.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,979

$34.34 ₱2,117

75.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿563

$4.33 ₱267

295.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿286

$3.14 ₱194

176.75%

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

$693 ฿22.8K

$117 ₱7,234

490.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿515.6K

$4,325 ₱266.6K

262.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,957

$46.46 ₱2,864

28.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,143

$29.70 ₱1,831

17.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,767

$79.0 ₱4,872

44.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,738

$68.8 ₱4,239

21.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.2K

$263 ₱16.2K

133.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.4K

$179 ₱11.0K

144.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.8K

$576 ₱35.5K

263.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.6K

$397 ₱24.4K

280.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.2K

$2,371 ₱146.2K

58.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿86.0K

$1,070 ₱66.0K

144.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.56

-44.25%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $263 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $147 per month, with Cotabato City cheaper across the board.

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 Cotabato City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,086 in Cotabato City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $263 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $724 in Cotabato City – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $724 in Cotabato City versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotabato City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cotabato City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cotabato City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $724 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cotabato City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cotabato City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.