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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $784 in Malaybalay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,216 in Malaybalay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,649 in Malaybalay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 59% more expensive than in Malaybalay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Malaybalay 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.37 ₱269

4.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$15.75 ₱970

193.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$3.95 ₱243

123.80%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.14 ₱132

42.99%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.50 ₱31.04

46.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.37 ₱22.57

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.09 ₱66.9

122.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.76 ₱108

114.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.70 ₱104

32.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.22 ₱75.1

48.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.93 ₱57.6

141.94%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.00 ₱123

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.05 ₱372

222.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.56 ₱281

-19.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.47 ₱460

74.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.83 ₱174

14.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.19 ₱73.4

36.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.28 ₱140

4.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.42 ₱87.5

42.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.18 ₱134

-29.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.17 ₱195

-52.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.38 ₱84.8

-28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.60 ₱36.82

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.67 ₱164

66.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.14 ₱501

125.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.36 ₱83.9

36.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.55 ₱95.4

72.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.28 ₱17.37

403.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.85 ₱52.6

265.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.23 ₱14.10

352.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.18 ₱134

547.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.09 ₱67.2

20.18%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$21.9K ₱1.3M

27.01%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

59.20%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$105 ₱6,459

16.71%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$33.33 ₱2,052

-59.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$35.84 ₱2,207

-47.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$34.25 ₱2,109

76.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$4.36 ₱269

289.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.52 ₱278

100.66%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$118 ₱7,251

499.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,376 ₱269.4K

261.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$45.25 ₱2,786

29.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$30.63 ₱1,886

15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$76.2 ₱4,691

51.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$68.0 ₱4,185

23.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$271 ₱16.7K

131.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$180 ₱11.1K

147.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$587 ₱36.1K

247.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$389 ₱23.9K

283.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,377 ₱146.3K

46.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,109 ₱68.3K

132.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Malaybalay: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $271 in Malaybalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Malaybalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 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 59% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $784 including rent). Malaybalay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,176 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: $626 in Phuket versus $271 in Malaybalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $118 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $784 in Malaybalay versus $1,250 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 59% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.