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 $754 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,149 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,544 in Cotabato City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 68% more expensive than in Cotabato City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cotabato City 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$4.92 ₱307

-5.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,059

$16.52 ₱1,030

95.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$4.11 ₱256

111.19%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.3

$2.15 ₱134

34.88%

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

$0.84 ฿27.75

$1.08 ₱67.6

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.70 ₱43.73

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.6

$1.13 ₱70.5

119.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$1.89 ₱118

97.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$2.04 ₱127

-7.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.31

$1.09 ₱68.2

29.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.3

$0.83 ₱51.7

95.18%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.7

$1.94 ₱121

15.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿652

$6.87 ₱429

188.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$4.16 ₱259

-16.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

$8.49 ₱530

33.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.3

$2.62 ₱163

10.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.7

$1.13 ₱70.2

52.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.7

$2.31 ₱144

-1.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.1

$1.20 ₱75.0

77.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.49

$2.14 ₱134

-31.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.69

$3.48 ₱217

-59.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.08

$1.19 ₱74.5

-7.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.66

$0.68 ₱42.37

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.55 ₱159

69.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$7.93 ₱495

134.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.2

$1.30 ₱80.9

38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.5

$1.59 ₱99.0

86.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.8

$0.25 ₱15.46

800.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿772

$11.14 ₱695

110.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.82 ₱50.9

278.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.39

$0.23 ₱14.24

369.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$1.90 ₱118

103.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.93

$1.17 ₱73.1

22.22%

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

$27.8K ฿913.6K

$21.6K ₱1.3M

28.36%

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

$27.0K ฿887.2K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

42.37%

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

$105 ฿3,446

$108 ₱6,720

-2.76%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$19.17 ₱1,195

-40.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$31.98 ₱1,994

-45.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,787

$32.42 ₱2,021

67.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿376

$4.93 ₱308

132.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$4.86 ₱303

60.08%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$109 ₱6,783

429.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.8K

$7,655 ₱477.3K

51.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,092

$32.37 ₱2,019

96.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿957

$19.46 ₱1,214

49.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,164

$71.7 ₱4,470

34.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,960

$61.7 ₱3,845

45.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$269 ₱16.8K

172.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$175 ₱10.9K

186.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.9K

$505 ₱31.5K

320.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$358 ₱22.3K

250.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.2K

$2,636 ₱164.4K

34.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.2K

$1,030 ₱64.2K

154.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.31

-32.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $269 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $196 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 68% 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 $1,131 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: $733 in Phuket versus $269 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $754 in Cotabato City – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 111% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $754 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 $754 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 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.