Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Malaybalay Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Malaybalay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $778 in Malaybalay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,211 in Malaybalay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,644 in Malaybalay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than Malaybalay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Malaybalay 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$4.37 ₱269

7.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$16.17 ₱997

180.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.91 ₱241

115.60%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.07 ₱128

41.55%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.51 ₱31.67

35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.36 ₱22.49

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.08 ₱66.7

123.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.75 ₱108

112.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.74 ₱107

28.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.28 ₱78.7

42.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.99 ₱60.9

119.19%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.09 ₱129

5.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$5.98 ₱369

230.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.49 ₱277

-19.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.21 ₱444

87.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.90 ₱179

13.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.19 ₱73.5

35.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.38 ₱147

1.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.35 ₱83.4

54.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.30 ₱142

-33.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$3.31 ₱204

-55.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.32 ₱81.4

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.60 ₱37.29

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.69 ₱166

63.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.91 ₱488

145.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.40 ₱86.1

27.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.50 ₱92.2

80.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.28 ₱17.37

389.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.91 ₱56.2

231.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.25 ₱15.47

296.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.18 ₱134

546.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.14 ₱70.5

19.30%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$22.6K ₱1.4M

25.02%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

57.12%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$103 ₱6,357

18.04%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$33.29 ₱2,053

-59.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$36.73 ₱2,265

-50.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$34.32 ₱2,116

75.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.46 ₱275

284.30%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.53 ₱279

91.83%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$119 ₱7,334

483.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,392 ₱270.8K

257.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$45.45 ₱2,803

30.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$30.66 ₱1,890

13.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$77.1 ₱4,756

48.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$70.1 ₱4,320

18.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$271 ₱16.7K

126.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$178 ₱11.0K

145.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$576 ₱35.5K

263.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$393 ₱24.2K

284.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,167 ₱133.6K

73.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$905 ₱55.8K

188.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.56

-44.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Malaybalay: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $271 in Malaybalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Malaybalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $194 per month, with Malaybalay cheaper across the board.

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

Phuket and Malaybalay differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $778 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,166 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: $613 in Phuket versus $271 in Malaybalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $119 in Malaybalay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Malaybalay – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $778 in Malaybalay versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Malaybalay are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Malaybalay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.