Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Laoag City

For one person, living is cheaper in Laoag City: $720 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Laoag City
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Laoag City Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Laoag City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Laoag City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Laoag City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $720 in Laoag City, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Laoag City $720

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $1,097 in Laoag City, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Laoag City $1,097

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $1,475 in Laoag City, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Laoag City $1,475

Phuket costs about 80% more than Laoag City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Laoag City are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Laoag City 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$3.95 ₱250

11.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$16.69 ₱1,059

93.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$2.79 ₱177

211.83%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$2.13 ₱135

27.70%

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.69 ₱43.62

34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.31 ₱19.58

61.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$1.19 ₱75.4

112.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$2.04 ₱130

77.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.65 ₱105

5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

$1.15 ₱72.9

26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.90 ₱56.9

66.67%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$1.92 ₱122

13.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$5.43 ₱344

251.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$4.18 ₱265

-18.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$6.94 ₱440

57.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$2.39 ₱152

23.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.59 ₱101

6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$2.40 ₱152

-8.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

$1.11 ₱70.3

90.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

$2.04 ₱129

-28.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

$2.19 ₱139

-37.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

$1.04 ₱66.0

3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

$0.53 ₱33.68

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$2.92 ₱185

51.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$7.50 ₱476

143.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$0.97 ₱61.3

82.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$1.93 ₱122

49.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

$0.22 ₱13.95

559.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

$12.26 ₱778

347.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.75 ₱47.81

101.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

$0.23 ₱14.62

239.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

$1.91 ₱121

101.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$1.00 ₱63.2

49.00%

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

27.86%

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

$18.8K ₱1.2M

40.09%

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

$119 ₱7,553

-17.84%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$15.64 ₱992

-27.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$23.94 ₱1,519

-28.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$31.30 ₱1,986

118.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$5.11 ₱324

113.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$5.06 ₱321

46.84%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$131 ₱8,335

303.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

$7,744 ₱491.3K

142.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

$32.77 ₱2,079

88.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$19.23 ₱1,220

46.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

$69.8 ₱4,429

37.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

$55.0 ₱3,490

57.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$247 ₱15.6K

192.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$167 ₱10.6K

204.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$497 ₱31.5K

292.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$344 ₱21.8K

305.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$2,674 ₱169.7K

56.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$1,094 ₱69.4K

201.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

$159 ₱10.1K

208.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.92

-19.51%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Laoag City: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Laoag City

$167 23.2% 67.2% $342

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Laoag City

$179 24.8% 33.1% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Laoag City

$159 22% 25.6% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Laoag City

$80 11.1% 35.2% $43

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Laoag City

$80 11.1% 33.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Laoag City

$41 5.8% 50.2% $42

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Laoag City

$15 2.1% 77.2% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $247 in Laoag City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Phuket are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $17 in Laoag City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $179 – making Laoag City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇭 Laoag City

🕒 Local time

06:48 6:48 AM

07:48 7:48 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

112,117

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.44 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.95 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Laoag City 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Laoag City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Laoag City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 80% more than Laoag City, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $1,080 in Laoag City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Laoag City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $247 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $720 in Laoag City. That makes Laoag City about 44% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 78% less in Laoag City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Laoag City, where all-in costs run around $720, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Laoag City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Laoag City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Laoag City. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.