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 $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $736 in Ligao City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $1,106 in Ligao City, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $1,476 in Ligao City, rent included.

Phuket costs about 67% more than Ligao City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.42 ₱214

28.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$16.55 ₱1,037

94.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$2.74 ₱172

225.91%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.24 ₱141

29.46%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.59 ₱36.90

49.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.31 ₱19.31

54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$1.08 ₱67.5

117.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.82 ₱114

104.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.59 ₱99.9

17.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.15 ₱71.8

27.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.91 ₱57.3

70.33%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.92 ₱120

9.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$5.27 ₱331

271.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.19 ₱262

-18.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$6.88 ₱431

65.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.31 ₱145

29.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.58 ₱98.9

6.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.35 ₱147

-5.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.13 ₱71.0

91.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.12 ₱133

-28.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.91 ₱120

-29.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.80 ₱50.2

41.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.55 ₱34.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.90 ₱182

46.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.00 ₱502

138.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.96 ₱60.2

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$1.99 ₱125

39.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.28 ₱17.59

696.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$10.60 ₱664

114.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.72 ₱44.99

320.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.27 ₱17.13

277.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$1.89 ₱119

105.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.15 ₱72.3

29.57%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

25.93%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

27.25%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$123 ₱7,713

-16.75%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$15.00 ₱940

-24.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$24.12 ₱1,511

-27.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$31.73 ₱1,988

64.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$4.95 ₱310

123.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.05 ₱316

52.28%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$133 ₱8,352

320.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$7,896 ₱494.8K

45.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$31.53 ₱1,976

99.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$19.21 ₱1,204

53.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$72.6 ₱4,552

34.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$56.1 ₱3,514

57.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$262 ₱16.4K

182.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$171 ₱10.7K

181.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$505 ₱31.6K

317.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$353 ₱22.1K

247.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,623 ₱164.3K

37.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,016 ₱63.7K

156.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$279 ₱17.5K

76.90%

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 Ligao City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $262 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 77% 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 $17.00 in Ligao City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $177 – 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 67%, 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,104 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.

Groceries cost about 55% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $17.00 in Ligao City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ligao City, where all-in costs run around $736, than in Phuket at $1,232. 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.