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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $540 in Dasmarinas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $967 in Dasmarinas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,395 in Dasmarinas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 134% more expensive than in Dasmarinas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.47 ₱213

29.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$13.24 ₱810

244.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$2.61 ₱160

235.63%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.57 ₱96.3

89.17%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.58 ₱35.63

18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.33 ₱20.34

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.05 ₱64.2

140.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.32 ₱80.8

184.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.59 ₱97.3

35.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.11 ₱68.2

63.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.85 ₱51.9

156.47%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.02 ₱124

11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.65 ₱346

253.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.86 ₱236

-5.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.11 ₱497

67.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.62 ₱160

23.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.45 ₱88.7

13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.72 ₱105

35.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.68 ₱41.92

204.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.09 ₱66.5

42.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.24 ₱137

-34.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.67 ₱40.92

46.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.46 ₱27.97

4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.09 ₱128

108.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.08 ₱556

104.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.08 ₱65.8

72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.27 ₱139

16.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.26 ₱15.75

446.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$4.46 ₱273

159.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.90 ₱55.1

252.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.22 ₱13.43

368.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.37 ₱145

486.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.11 ₱68.2

20.72%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$31.4K ₱1.9M

-11.52%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.1K ₱1.2M

66.19%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$43.55 ₱2,666

182.55%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$34.36 ₱2,103

-59.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$25.77 ₱1,578

-28.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$11.83 ₱724

413.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.54 ₱278

277.97%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.63 ₱345

57.55%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$153 ₱9,379

348.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,640 ₱284.0K

240.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$48.00 ₱2,938

23.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$27.89 ₱1,707

24.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$76.0 ₱4,652

51.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$46.13 ₱2,823

81.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$269 ₱16.5K

130.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$85.2 ₱5,217

423.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$595 ₱36.4K

242.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$388 ₱23.8K

285.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$387 ₱23.7K

553.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$370 ₱22.6K

33.54%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Dasmarinas: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $269 in Dasmarinas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 34% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Dasmarinas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $175 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 134% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $540 including rent). Dasmarinas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Phuket, 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: $621 in Phuket versus $269 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 159% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $153 in Dasmarinas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $540 in Dasmarinas versus $1,264 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 134% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.