Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mandaue Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mandaue

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $934 in Mandaue.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,374 in Mandaue.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,814 in Mandaue.

Living in Phuket is roughly 36% more expensive than Mandaue, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Mandaue 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$4.52 ₱279

3.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$24.25 ₱1,495

87.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.33 ₱267

94.69%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.64 ₱163

10.98%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.81 ₱49.70

-14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.45 ₱27.81

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.57 ₱96.6

53.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.08 ₱128

78.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.08 ₱128

7.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.75 ₱46.14

144.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.97 ₱59.9

123.71%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.23 ₱138

-0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.75 ₱786

54.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.17 ₱319

-29.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.52 ₱464

79.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.58 ₱221

-8.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.50 ₱92.7

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.26 ₱201

-26.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.26 ₱139

-7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.56 ₱158

-40.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.53 ₱156

-41.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.98 ₱60.3

1.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.79 ₱48.69

-35.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.68 ₱165

64.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.34 ₱391

205.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.15 ₱70.9

54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.34 ₱144

15.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.26 ₱16.01

426.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.84 ₱51.7

259.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.25 ₱15.51

296.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.64 ₱163

434.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.09 ₱67.2

24.77%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$29.6K ₱1.8M

-4.71%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.5K ₱1.7M

19.72%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$95.5 ₱5,886

27.49%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$26.50 ₱1,634

-48.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$29.84 ₱1,840

-38.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$47.94 ₱2,956

25.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.47 ₱276

283.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.91 ₱364

47.04%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$230 ₱14.2K

200.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,847 ₱237.2K

307.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$46.31 ₱2,856

28.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$22.90 ₱1,412

51.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$77.2 ₱4,759

48.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$55.8 ₱3,438

49.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$266 ₱16.4K

130.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$284 ₱17.5K

53.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$854 ₱52.7K

145.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$436 ₱26.9K

246.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,353 ₱145.1K

59.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$958 ₱59.1K

172.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$242 ₱14.9K

110.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mandaue: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $266 in Mandaue. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 110% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Mandaue for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $228 per month, with Mandaue 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 Mandaue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandaue wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mandaue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 110% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $266 in Mandaue. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $230 in Mandaue. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaue – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $934 in Mandaue versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mandaue but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mandaue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $934 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mandaue hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Mandaue 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 Mandaue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.