Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Iloilo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Iloilo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,223 per month in Phuket vs $683 in Iloilo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,237 per month in Phuket vs $1,032 in Iloilo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,251 per month in Phuket vs $1,382 in Iloilo, rent included.

Phuket costs about 79% more than Iloilo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Iloilo are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Iloilo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$2.58 ₱156

74.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$21.24 ₱1,286

119.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$3.46 ₱210

145.38%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$2.08 ₱126

48.08%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$0.53 ₱32.09

28.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.30 ₱18.11

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$0.93 ₱56.6

161.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$1.80 ₱109

101.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.81 ₱110

20.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$1.20 ₱72.9

50.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$0.86 ₱52.4

159.30%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$2.28 ₱138

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$5.99 ₱363

227.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.32 ₱262

-13.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$6.87 ₱416

96.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$3.59 ₱217

-6.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.19 ₱72.1

36.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.37 ₱204

-28.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.61 ₱97.4

23.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$2.64 ₱160

-42.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$3.04 ₱184

-52.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$1.69 ₱102

-40.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.87 ₱52.4

-44.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.24 ₱196

31.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$5.78 ₱350

230.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.30 ₱78.5

41.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$1.45 ₱88.0

88.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.23 ₱13.87

517.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$5.05 ₱306

132.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$0.74 ₱44.75

305.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.31 ₱18.91

238.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$2.69 ₱163

416.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.13 ₱68.5

14.16%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$23.9K ₱1.4M

17.06%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$19.5K ₱1.2M

71.37%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$66.3 ₱4,016

83.90%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$31.48 ₱1,906

-55.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$30.53 ₱1,849

-38.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$27.56 ₱1,668

122.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$5.21 ₱316

70.63%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$35.10 ₱2,125

1869.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$4,377 ₱265.0K

269.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$45.04 ₱2,727

28.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$23.15 ₱1,402

52.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$62.4 ₱3,778

81.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$26.18 ₱1,585

217.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$235 ₱14.2K

157.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$176 ₱10.7K

153.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$353 ₱21.3K

475.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$280 ₱17.0K

432.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$3,804 ₱230.3K

-5.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$1,089 ₱65.9K

137.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$231 ₱14.0K

118.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Iloilo: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Phuket versus $235 in Iloilo. 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 118% 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $21.00 in Iloilo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $202 – making Iloilo 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 Iloilo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 79%, 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 $1,835 per month in Phuket and $1,024 in Iloilo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iloilo, 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 $47.00 in Phuket and $21.00 in Iloilo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,223 in Phuket and $683 in Iloilo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iloilo, where all-in costs run around $683, than in Phuket at $1,223. In Iloilo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iloilo – 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 Iloilo. 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.