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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $842 in Mandaue.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,202 in Mandaue.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,562 in Mandaue.

Living in Phuket is roughly 49% more expensive than in Mandaue, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Mandaue 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.12 ₱195

46.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$23.01 ₱1,439

41.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$3.90 ₱244

128.21%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.51 ₱157

11.55%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.59 ₱36.76

49.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.50 ₱31.03

-2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.78 ₱111

34.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.20 ₱138

68.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.94 ₱122

-7.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.19 ₱74.4

21.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.92 ₱57.7

71.74%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.06 ₱129

3.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$9.95 ₱622

100.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.46 ₱279

-23.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$7.39 ₱462

53.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$3.31 ₱207

-10.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.47 ₱91.9

17.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$2.42 ₱151

-4.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.55 ₱97.0

34.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$2.36 ₱147

-37.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.89 ₱118

-28.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$1.20 ₱74.9

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.63 ₱39.13

-9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.47 ₱154

72.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$6.37 ₱399

189.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.24 ₱77.3

50.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.69 ₱105

72.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.24 ₱14.86

825.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$10.58 ₱661

116.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.78 ₱49.01

288.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.21 ₱13.09

409.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.94 ₱121

102.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.27 ₱79.2

17.32%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

27.60%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$19.7K ₱1.2M

39.11%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$99.6 ₱6,229

3.20%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$14.83 ₱927

-25.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$28.47 ₱1,781

-38.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$31.87 ₱1,993

67.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$5.02 ₱314

123.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.69 ₱356

31.46%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$136 ₱8,512

309.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$8,067 ₱504.5K

46.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$32.04 ₱2,004

99.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$19.34 ₱1,210

50.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$78.5 ₱4,911

22.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$58.8 ₱3,674

53.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$440 ₱27.5K

66.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$252 ₱15.8K

98.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$754 ₱47.1K

177.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$356 ₱22.2K

240.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,943 ₱184.0K

22.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,157 ₱72.4K

117.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$244 ₱15.3K

106.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.2

-22.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mandaue: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $440 in Mandaue. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 106% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Mandaue for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $206 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 49% 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.

Average pay runs 106% higher in Phuket, 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: $730 in Phuket versus $440 in Mandaue. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaue – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,253 per month in Phuket versus $842 in Mandaue – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $842 in Mandaue versus $1,253 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 $842 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 49% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.