Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dasmarinas Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dasmarinas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $546 in Dasmarinas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $990 in Dasmarinas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,434 in Dasmarinas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 133% more expensive than Dasmarinas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Dasmarinas 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿151

$3.51 ₱212

32.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,505

$13.37 ₱809

247.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿281

$2.70 ₱163

221.48%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.5

$1.62 ₱98.3

82.10%

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

$0.70 ฿22.65

$0.53 ₱32.21

32.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.77

$0.30 ₱18.40

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿82.1

$1.03 ₱62.6

145.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$1.35 ₱81.8

180.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.8

$1.63 ₱98.9

36.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿58.2

$1.10 ₱66.8

63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.8

$0.84 ₱51.1

160.71%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.9

$1.99 ₱120

16.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿627

$5.52 ₱334

250.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿122

$3.84 ₱232

-1.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿428

$7.80 ₱472

69.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿108

$2.69 ₱163

23.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.4

$1.40 ₱84.6

17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿74.2

$1.74 ₱105

31.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.4

$0.69 ₱41.95

188.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.51

$1.04 ₱62.9

47.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿49.04

$2.30 ₱139

-34.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.30

$0.73 ₱44.29

41.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.66

$0.43 ₱25.77

18.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿143

$2.08 ₱126

112.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿629

$9.19 ₱556

111.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.3

$1.07 ₱64.7

68.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.8

$2.37 ₱143

13.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.37

$0.26 ₱15.69

450.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿379

$4.50 ₱273

160.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿98.4

$0.87 ₱52.9

249.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.56

$0.24 ₱14.60

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿443

$2.36 ₱143

479.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿42.08

$1.11 ₱67.4

17.12%

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

$27.9K ฿903.9K

$32.1K ₱1.9M

-13.19%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

59.37%

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

$123 ฿3,984

$44.14 ₱2,671

178.59%

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

$13.82 ฿448

$34.55 ₱2,091

-60.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿611

$26.15 ₱1,582

-27.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,981

$11.79 ₱713

418.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿545

$4.52 ₱274

271.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿287

$5.78 ₱350

53.46%

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

$696 ฿22.6K

$149 ₱9,017

367.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿520.3K

$4,807 ₱290.9K

234.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,921

$48.47 ₱2,933

22.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,129

$27.44 ₱1,660

27.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,667

$75.8 ₱4,585

49.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,756

$46.97 ₱2,842

81.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.9K

$265 ₱16.0K

132.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.5K

$82.8 ₱5,008

441.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.6K

$592 ₱35.8K

252.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.5K

$389 ₱23.5K

284.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿121.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿86.2K

$407 ₱24.6K

554.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.3K

$379 ₱22.9K

40.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.4

-16.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Dasmarinas: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $265 in Dasmarinas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 41% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $13 in Dasmarinas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $174 per month, with Dasmarinas 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 Dasmarinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Dasmarinas differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($1,270 vs $546 including rent). Dasmarinas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 41% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $615 in Phuket versus $265 in Dasmarinas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dasmarinas runs roughly 160% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $149 in Dasmarinas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $546 in Dasmarinas versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dasmarinas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Dasmarinas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Dasmarinas 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 Dasmarinas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.