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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $739 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,153 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $1,567 in Cotabato City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 71% more expensive than in Cotabato City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Cotabato City 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$4.34 ₱268

4.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,567

$24.27 ₱1,498

91.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$4.51 ₱278

91.80%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$2.12 ₱131

45.75%

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

$0.68 ฿22.93

$0.81 ₱50.1

-16.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.46

$0.49 ₱30.52

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.7

$1.38 ₱85.1

75.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿129

$1.73 ₱107

120.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.6

$1.04 ₱64.1

109.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$0.34 ₱20.98

435.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.6

$0.83 ₱51.2

162.65%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.6

$2.08 ₱129

7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿674

$6.12 ₱378

225.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$3.36 ₱207

8.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿459

$7.14 ₱441

89.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$1.40 ₱86.4

135.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.09 ₱67.1

55.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.9

$1.08 ₱66.7

115.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.5

$1.16 ₱71.7

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿54.1

$1.21 ₱74.7

32.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.5

$1.55 ₱95.8

-3.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.23

$0.55 ₱34.06

83.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.12

$0.60 ₱36.99

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$0.85 ₱52.7

423.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿630

$7.96 ₱492

134.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.4

$1.36 ₱84.0

31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.5

$1.54 ₱95.2

81.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.99

$0.26 ₱16.02

446.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿383

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿105

$0.93 ₱57.2

232.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.25

$0.25 ₱15.50

316.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿461

$2.18 ₱135

525.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.31

$1.09 ₱67.3

20.18%

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

$27.3K ฿922.3K

$22.5K ₱1.4M

21.33%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

61.50%

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

$123 ฿4,164

$102 ₱6,311

20.46%

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

$13.81 ฿467

$34.33 ₱2,119

-59.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿626

$36.81 ₱2,272

-49.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,041

$34.30 ₱2,117

75.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿568

$4.52 ₱279

271.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿301

$3.28 ₱202

171.04%

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

$687 ฿23.2K

$121 ₱7,497

465.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿525.7K

$4,319 ₱266.6K

260.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,949

$45.25 ₱2,793

27.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,172

$29.55 ₱1,824

17.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$76.8 ₱4,738

49.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,871

$69.5 ₱4,290

22.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.9K

$269 ₱16.6K

129.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿15.0K

$179 ₱11.1K

147.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.2K

$577 ₱35.6K

254.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.9K

$391 ₱24.1K

285.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.6K

$2,723 ₱168.1K

31.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.9K

$888 ₱54.8K

182.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $269 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $148 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 71% 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 $1,891 in Phuket and $1,108 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: $618 in Phuket versus $269 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 98% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $739 in Cotabato City – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $739 in Cotabato City versus $1,261 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 $739 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 71% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.