Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Laoag City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Laoag City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $744 in Laoag City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $1,103 in Laoag City, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $1,463 in Laoag City, rent included.

Phuket costs about 66% more than Laoag City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Laoag City are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Laoag City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.71 ₱233

18.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$13.59 ₱851

137.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$2.87 ₱180

211.15%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.30 ₱144

26.09%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.59 ₱36.78

49.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.31 ₱19.36

54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$1.13 ₱70.9

107.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.83 ₱115

103.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.59 ₱99.8

17.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.11 ₱69.6

32.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.98 ₱61.3

58.16%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.09 ₱131

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$6.03 ₱378

224.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.95 ₱436

-50.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$6.88 ₱431

65.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.27 ₱142

31.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.63 ₱102

3.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.41 ₱151

-8.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.12 ₱70.0

92.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.01 ₱126

-24.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.87 ₱117

-28.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.82 ₱51.2

37.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.51 ₱32.24

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.78 ₱174

53.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$7.92 ₱496

141.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.92 ₱57.7

93.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$1.93 ₱121

44.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.25 ₱15.74

792.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$10.40 ₱652

118.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.82 ₱51.5

269.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.22 ₱13.70

363.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$1.88 ₱118

106.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$0.96 ₱60.2

55.21%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$21.5K ₱1.3M

23.85%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$19.6K ₱1.2M

38.20%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$124 ₱7,749

-17.13%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$15.64 ₱980

-27.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$24.22 ₱1,518

-28.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$13.61 ₱853

282.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$4.23 ₱265

161.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.10 ₱319

50.78%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$134 ₱8,400

318.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$8,856 ₱555.0K

29.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$32.02 ₱2,006

96.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$19.82 ₱1,242

48.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$72.4 ₱4,534

35.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$56.6 ₱3,547

56.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$263 ₱16.5K

180.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$182 ₱11.4K

164.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$375 ₱23.5K

461.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$352 ₱22.1K

247.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,614 ₱163.8K

38.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$898 ₱56.3K

189.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$158 ₱9,925

211.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Laoag City: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $263 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 run about 212% 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $14.00 in Laoag City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $193 – making Laoag City 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 Laoag City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 66% more than Laoag City, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,116 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,232 in Phuket and $744 in Laoag City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 119% less in Laoag City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Laoag City, where all-in costs run around $744, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Laoag City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Laoag City costs $744 versus $1,232 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Laoag City. 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.