Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Imus Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Imus

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $771 in Imus, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,135 in Imus, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,500 in Imus, rent included.

Phuket costs about 60% more than Imus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Imus are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Imus 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.50 ₱278

2.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$21.45 ₱1,323

118.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.16 ₱195

179.75%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.96 ₱183

1.35%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.87 ₱53.9

-14.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.37 ₱22.97

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.22 ₱75.0

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.71 ₱167

33.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.07 ₱128

9.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.26 ₱78.0

46.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.01 ₱62.2

121.78%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.02 ₱125

14.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.09 ₱437

177.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.13 ₱255

-11.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.10 ₱438

84.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.32 ₱143

46.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.53 ₱94.3

7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.91 ₱180

-17.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.66 ₱102

22.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.74 ₱107

-10.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$3.51 ₱216

-57.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.64 ₱101

-37.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.88 ₱54.3

-44.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.18 ₱196

39.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.14 ₱564

106.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.33 ₱82.3

33.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.99 ₱123

38.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.46 ₱28.23

204.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.83 ₱51.0

275.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.24 ₱14.85

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.12 ₱131

564.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.11 ₱68.4

21.62%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$25.6K ₱1.6M

6.07%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.8K ₱1.1M

84.63%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$129 ₱7,975

-3.34%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$32.71 ₱2,018

-58.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$26.45 ₱1,631

-29.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$34.39 ₱2,121

78.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$4.34 ₱268

288.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.05 ₱435

30.35%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$81.9 ₱5,052

752.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,302 ₱265.3K

262.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$31.95 ₱1,971

80.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.51 ₱1,820

19.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$67.5 ₱4,166

67.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$95.7 ₱5,902

-9.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$134 ₱8,293

358.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$109 ₱6,701

310.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$221 ₱13.6K

826.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$189 ₱11.7K

687.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,331 ₱143.8K

62.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$176 ₱10.8K

198.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.17

-13.61%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Imus: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $134 in Imus. 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 198% 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 Imus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $208 – making Imus 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 Imus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,232 in Phuket, $771 in Imus – roughly 60% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,156 in Imus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 41% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Imus, where all-in costs run around $771, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Imus 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 $771 in Imus to $1,232 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 Imus. 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.