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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $792 in Ligao City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,200 in Ligao City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,609 in Ligao City, rent included.

Phuket costs about 59% more than Ligao City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Ligao City are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Ligao City 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.47 ₱211

31.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$17.92 ₱1,088

160.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.21 ₱195

163.86%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.46 ₱150

23.17%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.76 ₱46.16

-9.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.40 ₱24.19

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.30 ₱79.0

91.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.17 ₱132

68.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.92 ₱117

13.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.20 ₱73.1

58.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.99 ₱59.8

122.22%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.05 ₱125

8.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.21 ₱499

143.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.23 ₱257

-13.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.94 ₱482

66.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.97 ₱180

8.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.60 ₱96.9

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.66 ₱162

-10.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.60 ₱96.9

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.30 ₱140

-30.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.53 ₱154

-41.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.06 ₱64.4

-2.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.76 ₱46.24

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.91 ₱177

46.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$7.88 ₱478

138.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.16 ₱70.3

51.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.98 ₱120

39.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.26 ₱15.59

423.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.83 ₱50.6

278.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.22 ₱13.33

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.12 ₱129

549.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.09 ₱66.1

22.94%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.7K ₱1.6M

3.84%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

63.10%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$113 ₱6,853

9.51%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$33.33 ₱2,024

-59.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$27.39 ₱1,663

-31.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$34.12 ₱2,072

81.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$4.53 ₱275

280.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.84 ₱355

56.51%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$151 ₱9,146

366.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,315 ₱262.0K

267.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$45.16 ₱2,742

31.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$26.32 ₱1,598

33.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$76.2 ₱4,625

51.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$52.9 ₱3,214

58.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$269 ₱16.4K

129.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$180 ₱10.9K

140.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$577 ₱35.0K

257.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$394 ₱23.9K

283.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,435 ₱147.9K

49.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,032 ₱62.6K

154.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$281 ₱17.1K

80.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ligao City: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $269 in Ligao 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 81% 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 $18.00 in Ligao City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $207 – making Ligao 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 Ligao City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 59%, 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 $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,188 in Ligao City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ligao 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 $1,261 in Phuket and $792 in Ligao City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $703 per month in Phuket and $151 in Ligao City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ligao City, where all-in costs run around $792, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Ligao City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ligao City – 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 Ligao 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.