Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mambajao Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mambajao

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $622 in Mambajao, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,019 in Mambajao, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $1,417 in Mambajao, rent included.

Phuket costs about 101% more than Mambajao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Mambajao are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Mambajao 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$1.54 ₱95.1

195.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$27.01 ₱1,663

70.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$4.38 ₱270

101.83%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.14 ₱193

-2.55%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.33 ₱81.9

-45.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.77 ₱47.46

-48.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.14 ₱70.2

113.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.71 ₱167

39.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.27 ₱78.4

77.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.92 ₱56.5

96.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.89 ₱55.0

152.81%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.40 ₱86.0

60.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.20 ₱505

137.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.29 ₱264

-14.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.33 ₱390

106.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.90 ₱178

11.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.35 ₱83.3

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.58 ₱159

-7.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.55 ₱95.6

30.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.37 ₱146

-35.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.60 ₱160

-42.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.08 ₱66.3

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.75 ₱46.26

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.77 ₱171

60.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.07 ₱497

127.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.12 ₱68.9

66.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.24 ₱76.2

116.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.22 ₱13.56

540.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.76 ₱46.97

309.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.24 ₱14.79

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.10 ₱129

571.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.41 ₱86.8

-7.09%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$26.3K ₱1.6M

5.90%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.4K ₱1.3M

62.78%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$85.4 ₱5,257

43.39%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$32.83 ₱2,021

-58.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$22.08 ₱1,359

-15.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$33.81 ₱2,081

78.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$4.51 ₱278

276.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.79 ₱357

56.65%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$154 ₱9,484

358.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,293 ₱264.3K

268.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$45.12 ₱2,778

29.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$26.21 ₱1,614

34.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$74.7 ₱4,601

54.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$53.0 ₱3,263

57.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$132 ₱8,112

374.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$87.0 ₱5,357

411.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$290 ₱17.8K

604.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$193 ₱11.9K

671.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,672 ₱164.5K

30.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,083 ₱66.6K

138.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$153 ₱9,436

226.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mambajao: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $132 in Mambajao. 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 226% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $27.00 in Mambajao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $187 – making Mambajao 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 Mambajao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 101% more than Mambajao, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $933 in Mambajao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mambajao, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,250 in Phuket and $622 in Mambajao. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $706 per month in Phuket and $154 in Mambajao. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mambajao, where all-in costs run around $622, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Mambajao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mambajao costs $622 versus $1,250 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Mambajao. 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.