Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mandaluyong Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mandaluyong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $840 in Mandaluyong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,407 in Mandaluyong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,973 in Mandaluyong.

Living in Phuket is roughly 51% more expensive than in Mandaluyong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Mandaluyong 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$4.81 ₱301

-3.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$17.07 ₱1,070

88.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$3.64 ₱228

138.46%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.17 ₱136

33.64%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.02 ₱63.8

-17.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.53 ₱32.92

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.19 ₱74.8

108.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.64 ₱165

41.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.64 ₱103

15.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.35 ₱84.6

4.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.98 ₱61.2

65.31%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.26 ₱142

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$5.09 ₱319

289.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.85 ₱304

-28.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.04 ₱441

61.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.36 ₱211

-13.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.89 ₱118

-8.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$3.05 ₱191

-25.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.85 ₱116

15.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.24 ₱140

-34.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.63 ₱165

-46.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.62 ₱39.03

77.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.52 ₱32.78

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.96 ₱186

45.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$8.51 ₱534

118.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.92 ₱57.9

95.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.06 ₱129

44.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.37 ₱23.28

508.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.77 ₱48.07

302.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.25 ₱15.75

332.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$1.87 ₱117

106.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.14 ₱71.6

25.44%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$21.5K ₱1.3M

29.17%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

39.11%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$142 ₱8,886

-26.06%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$17.85 ₱1,119

-36.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$23.76 ₱1,489

-26.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$31.47 ₱1,973

72.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.11 ₱383

27.33%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$134 ₱8,424

328.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$9,110 ₱571.1K

27.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$28.41 ₱1,781

124.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$28.01 ₱1,756

3.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$70.6 ₱4,424

36.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$56.8 ₱3,563

58.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$614 ₱38.5K

19.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$238 ₱14.9K

110.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,220 ₱76.5K

74.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$711 ₱44.6K

76.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,800 ₱175.5K

26.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$548 ₱34.3K

-7.31%

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 6, 2026

Last update for Mandaluyong: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $614 in Mandaluyong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandaluyong pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Mandaluyong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $199 per month, with Mandaluyong 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 Mandaluyong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Mandaluyong differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $840 including rent). Mandaluyong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Mandaluyong. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $614 in Mandaluyong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $134 in Mandaluyong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaluyong – 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 $840 in Mandaluyong versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mandaluyong but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaluyong 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 Mandaluyong 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 Mandaluyong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.