Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lucena Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lucena

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $487 in Lucena, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $848 in Lucena, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,208 in Lucena, rent included.

Phuket costs about 160% more than Lucena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Lucena are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Lucena 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$1.65 ₱102

184.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$9.04 ₱557

401.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$1.82 ₱112

363.19%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.06 ₱65.5

176.42%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.67 ₱41.13

2.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.35 ₱21.33

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.00 ₱61.6

141.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.44 ₱89.1

158.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.68 ₱104

32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.26 ₱77.7

45.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.94 ₱57.7

130.85%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.02 ₱124

9.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.00 ₱432

182.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$1.46 ₱90.2

148.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$2.74 ₱169

393.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$0.87 ₱53.8

277.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.03 ₱63.6

56.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.91 ₱56.4

164.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.69 ₱42.82

201.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.04 ₱64.3

47.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.17 ₱72.0

26.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.27 ₱78.3

-22.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.70 ₱42.91

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.15 ₱194

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.42 ₱457

161.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.63 ₱100

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$0.93 ₱57.1

191.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.29 ₱17.61

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.76 ₱47.06

297.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.25 ₱15.27

296.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.09 ₱129

574.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.10 ₱67.6

23.64%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$26.1K ₱1.6M

7.92%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

58.78%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$62.4 ₱3,847

95.09%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$7.24 ₱447

87.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$12.53 ₱772

46.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$34.43 ₱2,123

74.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.99 ₱431

24.32%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$81.3 ₱5,015

752.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$2,829 ₱174.5K

454.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$32.39 ₱1,997

83.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$29.34 ₱1,809

18.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$53.7 ₱3,310

113.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$92.8 ₱5,724

-10.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$131 ₱8,084

367.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$79.3 ₱4,891

451.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$597 ₱36.8K

250.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$391 ₱24.1K

285.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$321 ₱19.8K

58.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.13

-34.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lucena: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $131 in Lucena. 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 58% 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 $45.00 in Phuket versus $9.00 in Lucena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $139 – making Lucena 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 Lucena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,265 in Phuket, $487 in Lucena – roughly 160% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $731 in Lucena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lucena, 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 $45.00 in Phuket and $9.00 in Lucena. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 111% 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 Lucena, where all-in costs run around $487, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Lucena 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 $487 in Lucena to $1,265 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 Lucena. 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.