Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Davao Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Davao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $805 in Davao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,239 in Davao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,672 in Davao.

Living in Phuket is roughly 56% more expensive than in Davao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Davao 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$4.95 ₱310

-7.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$26.82 ₱1,680

21.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$3.98 ₱249

123.62%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.71 ₱170

3.32%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.10 ₱68.9

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.69 ₱43.37

-28.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.63 ₱102

46.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.34 ₱146

58.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.94 ₱121

-7.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.10 ₱68.7

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.91 ₱57.1

73.63%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.93 ₱121

10.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$6.91 ₱433

188.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.24 ₱266

-19.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$8.40 ₱526

34.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.67 ₱167

10.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.07 ₱67.0

60.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.28 ₱143

1.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.16 ₱72.7

79.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$2.11 ₱132

-30.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$3.54 ₱222

-61.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.19 ₱74.5

-7.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.66 ₱41.13

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.42 ₱152

76.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$7.93 ₱497

132.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.24 ₱77.7

50.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.58 ₱98.7

84.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.33 ₱20.59

572.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$13.43 ₱841

70.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.83 ₱51.7

265.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.23 ₱14.32

365.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.90 ₱119

106.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.16 ₱72.4

28.45%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

27.92%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

42.64%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$106 ₱6,654

-3.25%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$18.90 ₱1,183

-41.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$30.97 ₱1,939

-43.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$35.64 ₱2,232

50.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$3.63 ₱227

208.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$4.94 ₱309

51.42%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$107 ₱6,685

421.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$7,664 ₱479.9K

54.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$62.3 ₱3,901

2.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$26.84 ₱1,681

8.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$71.2 ₱4,458

34.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$61.9 ₱3,873

46.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$282 ₱17.6K

159.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$169 ₱10.6K

195.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$631 ₱39.5K

231.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$327 ₱20.5K

269.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,618 ₱101.3K

122.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,423 ₱89.1K

76.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$210 ₱13.1K

140.10%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Davao: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $282 in Davao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 140% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Davao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $195 per month, with Davao 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 Davao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Davao is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 140% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $282 in Davao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Davao – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,253 per month in Phuket versus $805 in Davao – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $805 in Davao versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Davao but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Davao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Davao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Davao 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 Davao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.