Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Iligan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Iligan City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,253 per month in Phuket vs $724 in Iligan City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Phuket vs $1,112 in Iligan City, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,833 per month in Phuket vs $1,499 in Iligan City, rent included.

Phuket costs about 73% more than Iligan City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Iligan City are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 9% lower, Iligan City 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.80 ₱238

20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$15.11 ₱945

115.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$2.86 ₱179

211.19%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.02 ₱126

38.61%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.58 ₱36.30

51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.32 ₱19.72

53.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.12 ₱70.3

113.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.91 ₱120

94.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$2.02 ₱126

-11.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.16 ₱72.6

24.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.91 ₱57.0

73.63%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.97 ₱123

8.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$5.40 ₱338

268.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.46 ₱279

-23.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$7.02 ₱439

61.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.38 ₱149

23.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.56 ₱97.6

10.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$2.44 ₱153

-4.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.17 ₱73.2

77.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$2.06 ₱129

-28.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$2.01 ₱125

-32.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.77 ₱48.09

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.53 ₱33.23

7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.09 ₱193

38.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$7.93 ₱496

132.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.94 ₱58.7

98.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.70 ₱106

71.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.25 ₱15.45

788.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$11.85 ₱741

93.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.75 ₱46.98

304.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.23 ₱14.10

365.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.83 ₱114

114.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.10 ₱68.6

35.45%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$24.6K ₱1.5M

10.09%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$17.3K ₱1.1M

58.58%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$110 ₱6,883

-6.59%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$15.02 ₱939

-26.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$24.78 ₱1,550

-29.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$32.53 ₱2,035

64.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$5.39 ₱337

107.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.32 ₱333

40.60%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$141 ₱8,837

294.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$7,245 ₱453.1K

63.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$31.78 ₱1,987

101.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$17.11 ₱1,070

69.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$70.7 ₱4,424

35.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$54.2 ₱3,392

66.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$114 ₱7,101

543.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$171 ₱10.7K

193.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$509 ₱31.8K

310.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$346 ₱21.7K

248.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,738 ₱171.2K

31.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,143 ₱71.5K

119.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$199 ₱12.5K

152.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Iligan City: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $730 in Phuket versus $114 in Iligan City. 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 153% 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 $33.00 in Phuket versus $15.00 in Iligan City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $183 – making Iligan City 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 Iligan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,253 in Phuket, $724 in Iligan City – roughly 73% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,880 per month in Phuket and $1,087 in Iligan City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iligan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 93% less in Iligan City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $557 per month in Phuket and $141 in Iligan City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Iligan City, where all-in costs run around $724, than in Phuket at $1,253. In Iligan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $724 in Iligan City to $1,253 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Iligan City. 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.