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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $758 in Malaybalay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,146 in Malaybalay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,535 in Malaybalay.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Malaybalay 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.71 ₱296

-6.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$16.73 ₱1,051

92.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$3.66 ₱230

143.99%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.26 ₱142

28.32%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.50 ₱31.27

76.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.30 ₱19.13

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.06 ₱66.4

121.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.84 ₱115

102.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.95 ₱123

-4.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.14 ₱71.5

28.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.87 ₱54.6

78.16%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.95 ₱123

7.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$6.50 ₱409

201.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.06 ₱255

-15.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$8.62 ₱541

32.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.58 ₱162

15.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.12 ₱70.5

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.31 ₱145

-4.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.19 ₱74.6

81.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$2.05 ₱129

-25.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$3.57 ₱224

-62.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.17 ₱73.6

-3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.70 ₱44.08

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.52 ₱159

69.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$7.90 ₱497

141.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.24 ₱77.6

43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.59 ₱99.8

74.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.23 ₱14.40

869.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$10.87 ₱683

109.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.81 ₱50.9

274.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.25 ₱15.75

308.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.95 ₱123

99.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.18 ₱73.9

26.27%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$21.5K ₱1.4M

23.43%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$18.8K ₱1.2M

43.90%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$109 ₱6,818

-5.58%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$19.31 ₱1,213

-41.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$30.85 ₱1,938

-43.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$31.66 ₱1,989

64.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$4.84 ₱304

128.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.90 ₱308

56.94%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$106 ₱6,635

430.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$7,643 ₱480.2K

50.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$31.89 ₱2,003

97.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$19.10 ₱1,200

54.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$70.4 ₱4,421

39.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$62.1 ₱3,901

42.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$260 ₱16.3K

183.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$169 ₱10.6K

185.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$495 ₱31.1K

325.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$297 ₱18.7K

312.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$2,556 ₱160.6K

41.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,043 ₱65.5K

149.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Malaybalay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $260 in Malaybalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Malaybalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 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 ($1,232 vs $758 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,136 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: $738 in Phuket versus $260 in Malaybalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% 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 $17.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $758 in Malaybalay versus $1,232 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.