Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Malaybalay

For one person, living is cheaper in Malaybalay: $739 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Malaybalay
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Malaybalay Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Malaybalay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Malaybalay

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 Malaybalay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $739 in Malaybalay.

Phuket $1,294
Malaybalay $739

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,140 in Malaybalay.

Phuket $2,204
Malaybalay $1,140

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,542 in Malaybalay.

Phuket $3,115
Malaybalay $1,542

Living in Phuket is roughly 75% more expensive than in Malaybalay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Malaybalay 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$4.55 ₱289

-3.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$16.36 ₱1,040

97.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$3.49 ₱222

149.28%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$2.14 ₱136

27.10%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$0.45 ₱28.56

106.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$0.32 ₱20.47

56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$1.18 ₱75.3

114.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$2.06 ₱131

76.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$1.97 ₱125

-11.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$1.10 ₱70.1

31.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.84 ₱53.5

78.57%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$1.90 ₱121

14.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$6.31 ₱401

202.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$4.55 ₱289

-25.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$9.02 ₱573

20.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$2.70 ₱171

8.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.11 ₱70.6

52.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$2.39 ₱152

-8.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$1.14 ₱72.3

85.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$1.90 ₱121

-23.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$3.29 ₱209

-58.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$1.24 ₱78.8

-12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$0.67 ₱42.60

-17.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$2.41 ₱153

83.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$7.89 ₱501

131.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$1.22 ₱77.5

45.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$1.66 ₱106

73.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

$0.24 ₱15.27

504.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

$12.31 ₱783

345.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.79 ₱50.4

91.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

$0.24 ₱15.32

225.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$1.91 ₱121

101.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.26 ₱80.3

18.25%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$21.2K ₱1.4M

26.59%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$18.7K ₱1.2M

40.77%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$104 ₱6,590

-5.63%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$19.05 ₱1,211

-40.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$30.84 ₱1,961

-44.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$31.24 ₱1,987

118.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$5.12 ₱325

113.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$4.80 ₱305

54.79%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$105 ₱6,703

403.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$7,393 ₱470.1K

154.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$32.03 ₱2,036

92.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$19.04 ₱1,211

48.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$71.0 ₱4,513

35.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$59.6 ₱3,792

45.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$250 ₱15.9K

188.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$166 ₱10.5K

206.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$485 ₱30.8K

302.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$354 ₱22.5K

294.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$2,659 ₱169.1K

57.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

$1,116 ₱71.0K

195.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.31

-32.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Malaybalay: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Malaybalay

$166 22.4% 67.4% $343

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Malaybalay

$196 26.5% 26.5% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Malaybalay

$154 20.8% 21.6% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Malaybalay

$82 11.1% 33.4% $41

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Malaybalay

$86 11.6% 28.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Malaybalay

$41 5.5% 50.9% $42

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Malaybalay

$15 2.1% 76.9% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $250 in Malaybalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $16 in Malaybalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $196 per month, with Malaybalay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇭 Malaybalay

🕒 Local time

07:09 7:09 AM

08:09 8:09 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

190,712

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.4 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 63.58 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.57 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Malaybalay 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Malaybalay

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 Malaybalay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $739 in Malaybalay, so Malaybalay is about 43% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $1,109 in Malaybalay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $250 in Malaybalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malaybalay – a meal for two runs $16 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $739 in Malaybalay versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Malaybalay but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Malaybalay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Malaybalay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.