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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $695 in Iloilo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,054 in Iloilo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,413 in Iloilo, rent included.

Phuket costs about 77% more than Iloilo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Iloilo are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Iloilo 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.69 ₱166

72.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$21.66 ₱1,336

116.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.50 ₱216

152.57%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.00 ₱124

50.00%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.57 ₱35.42

29.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.32 ₱19.77

15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$0.94 ₱57.8

159.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.75 ₱108

106.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.80 ₱111

25.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.21 ₱74.7

52.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.89 ₱55.1

151.69%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.24 ₱138

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.80 ₱358

239.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.19 ₱259

-12.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.05 ₱435

85.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.72 ₱229

-8.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.19 ₱73.2

37.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.31 ₱204

-27.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.60 ₱98.9

26.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.55 ₱157

-38.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$3.05 ₱188

-50.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.69 ₱104

-39.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.90 ₱55.6

-45.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.10 ₱191

43.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.70 ₱351

231.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.29 ₱79.7

37.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.45 ₱89.4

89.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.23 ₱14.18

508.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$5.11 ₱315

124.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.68 ₱42.18

358.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.31 ₱19.39

222.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.60 ₱160

441.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.13 ₱69.7

19.47%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$24.4K ₱1.5M

11.50%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

70.16%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$66.7 ₱4,115

87.32%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$31.70 ₱1,955

-57.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$29.55 ₱1,823

-37.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$26.75 ₱1,650

129.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.42 ₱335

69.56%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$35.20 ₱2,171

1883.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,394 ₱271.0K

254.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$45.02 ₱2,777

28.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$23.36 ₱1,441

50.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$62.8 ₱3,875

80.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$26.69 ₱1,646

223.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$233 ₱14.3K

164.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$177 ₱10.9K

152.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$350 ₱21.6K

485.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$286 ₱17.6K

421.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,857 ₱237.9K

-2.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,051 ₱64.8K

152.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$207 ₱12.8K

153.38%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Iloilo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $233 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 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $22.00 in Iloilo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $201 – 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 77%, 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,042 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 $22.00 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 $1,232 in Phuket and $695 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 $695, than in Phuket at $1,232. 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.