Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dagupan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dagupan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $748 in Dagupan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,089 per month in Phuket vs $1,101 in Dagupan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $1,455 in Dagupan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 69% more than Dagupan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Dagupan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Dagupan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$2.95 ₱185

57.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$11.80 ₱740

173.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$4.39 ₱275

97.72%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.51 ₱158

15.54%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.47 ₱29.40

78.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.23 ₱14.34

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.21 ₱76.0

104.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.65 ₱166

40.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.76 ₱110

7.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.22 ₱76.6

15.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.88 ₱55.3

84.09%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.92 ₱120

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$5.91 ₱370

235.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.77 ₱299

-27.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.09 ₱445

60.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.99 ₱250

-27.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.96 ₱123

-12.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.70 ₱169

-15.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.15 ₱71.9

85.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.93 ₱184

-49.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$3.46 ₱217

-58.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.06 ₱66.2

3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.57 ₱35.98

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.37 ₱149

81.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$5.70 ₱357

226.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.89 ₱55.9

102.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.89 ₱118

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.22 ₱13.80

922.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.62 ₱39.05

400.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.21 ₱13.13

414.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$1.86 ₱116

108.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.03 ₱64.3

38.83%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$21.4K ₱1.3M

29.75%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$19.7K ₱1.2M

37.13%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$102 ₱6,389

2.84%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$16.17 ₱1,014

-29.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$26.43 ₱1,657

-33.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$33.09 ₱2,074

64.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$5.07 ₱318

53.45%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$785 ₱49.2K

-26.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$7,457 ₱467.5K

55.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$60.8 ₱3,812

4.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$7.76 ₱486

275.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$80.6 ₱5,050

19.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$102 ₱6,395

-11.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$193 ₱12.1K

279.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$161 ₱10.1K

211.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$362 ₱22.7K

487.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$263 ₱16.5K

375.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$481 ₱30.1K

445.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$242 ₱15.2K

109.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.5

-25.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Dagupan: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $733 in Phuket versus $193 in Dagupan. 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 110% 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $12.00 in Dagupan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $199 – making Dagupan 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 Dagupan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 69%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,123 in Dagupan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dagupan, 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 $32.00 in Phuket and $12.00 in Dagupan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dagupan, where all-in costs run around $748, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Dagupan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dagupan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Dagupan. 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.