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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $505 in Mambajao, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $801 in Mambajao, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $1,097 in Mambajao, rent included.

Phuket costs about 144% more than Mambajao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Mambajao are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Mambajao 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.33 ₱83.3

231.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$16.14 ₱1,014

99.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$3.27 ₱205

173.09%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.26 ₱142

28.32%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.42 ₱26.34

109.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.27 ₱16.82

77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.01 ₱63.4

132.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.12 ₱70.5

232.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$0.84 ₱52.6

122.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.58 ₱36.75

153.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.71 ₱44.69

118.31%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.25 ₱78.8

68.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$5.66 ₱356

246.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.19 ₱263

-18.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$5.54 ₱348

105.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.34 ₱147

27.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.64 ₱103

2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.39 ₱150

-7.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.03 ₱64.5

109.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.24 ₱77.8

22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.94 ₱122

-30.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.75 ₱46.96

50.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.56 ₱35.36

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.66 ₱167

60.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.11 ₱510

135.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.99 ₱62.1

79.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.18 ₱74.3

135.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.21 ₱13.08

961.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$10.85 ₱682

109.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.71 ₱44.74

326.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.25 ₱15.91

308.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.74 ₱109

123.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.21 ₱76.2

23.14%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$24.1K ₱1.5M

10.19%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$20.0K ₱1.3M

34.87%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$63.2 ₱3,972

62.08%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$15.57 ₱979

-27.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$20.17 ₱1,267

-13.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$27.25 ₱1,712

91.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$4.54 ₱285

143.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.57 ₱287

68.27%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$144 ₱9,078

288.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$7,573 ₱475.8K

51.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$32.35 ₱2,033

94.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$21.79 ₱1,369

35.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$67.3 ₱4,225

45.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$49.23 ₱3,093

79.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$99.1 ₱6,228

644.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$56.0 ₱3,520

761.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$238 ₱14.9K

786.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$156 ₱9,806

685.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$2,958 ₱185.8K

22.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$927 ₱58.2K

180.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$151 ₱9,461

227.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Mambajao: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $99.1 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 228% 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $16.00 in Mambajao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $154 – 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 144% 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $758 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 $1,232 in Phuket and $505 in Mambajao. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 110% less in Mambajao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mambajao, where all-in costs run around $505, than in Phuket at $1,232. 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 $505 versus $1,232 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.