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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $684 in Iloilo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,037 in Iloilo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,390 in Iloilo, rent included.

Phuket costs about 85% more than Iloilo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Iloilo are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Iloilo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.71 ₱166

65.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$21.66 ₱1,326

110.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.56 ₱218

146.07%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.00 ₱122

48.50%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.53 ₱32.23

30.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.29 ₱18.04

34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$0.95 ₱57.9

166.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.73 ₱106

116.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.81 ₱111

18.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.27 ₱77.8

43.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.88 ₱54.0

147.73%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.21 ₱136

1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.76 ₱353

247.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.19 ₱256

-13.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.09 ₱434

91.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.78 ₱231

-14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.15 ₱70.7

42.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.28 ₱201

-28.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.56 ₱95.5

32.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.59 ₱159

-40.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.99 ₱183

-51.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.62 ₱99.2

-39.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.86 ₱52.8

-44.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.12 ₱191

39.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.79 ₱354

220.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.28 ₱78.5

45.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.38 ₱84.6

92.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.25 ₱15.38

468.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$5.15 ₱315

124.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.68 ₱41.77

366.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.31 ₱19.17

232.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.62 ₱160

430.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.09 ₱66.9

22.94%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$23.9K ₱1.5M

16.19%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$19.3K ₱1.2M

73.35%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$65.9 ₱4,033

86.75%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$31.21 ₱1,910

-55.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$30.23 ₱1,850

-39.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$26.99 ₱1,652

124.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.22 ₱320

69.92%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$34.74 ₱2,127

1880.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,276 ₱261.8K

268.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$45.06 ₱2,758

31.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$22.58 ₱1,382

53.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$61.8 ₱3,784

86.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$26.07 ₱1,596

221.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$237 ₱14.5K

162.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$177 ₱10.8K

151.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$357 ₱21.8K

470.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$280 ₱17.1K

434.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$3,731 ₱228.4K

-7.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,047 ₱64.1K

141.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$203 ₱12.4K

143.45%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Iloilo: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $237 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 143% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $22.00 in Iloilo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 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 85%, 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 $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,026 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 $46.00 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 $1,264 in Phuket and $684 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 $684, than in Phuket at $1,264. 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.