Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Manila Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Manila

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,223 per month in Phuket vs $957 in Manila, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,237 per month in Phuket vs $1,543 in Manila, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,251 per month in Phuket vs $2,130 in Manila, rent included.

Phuket costs about 28% more than Manila, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Manila 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$5.22 ₱316

-13.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$26.52 ₱1,605

75.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$4.38 ₱265

93.84%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$2.72 ₱164

13.24%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$0.93 ₱56.1

-26.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.51 ₱30.79

-29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$1.52 ₱92.2

59.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.71 ₱164

33.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$1.95 ₱118

12.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$1.36 ₱82.3

33.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.09 ₱65.9

104.59%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$2.10 ₱127

6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$9.46 ₱573

107.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.24 ₱318

-29.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$8.78 ₱532

53.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$3.40 ₱206

-1.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.77 ₱107

-8.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.48 ₱211

-30.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$2.41 ₱146

-17.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$2.67 ₱162

-42.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$3.15 ₱191

-53.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$2.02 ₱123

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.69 ₱41.77

-30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.35 ₱203

27.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$10.03 ₱607

90.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.46 ₱88.4

26.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$2.14 ₱129

28.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$0.52 ₱31.19

173.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$12.01 ₱727

-2.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$0.92 ₱55.4

226.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.27 ₱16.41

288.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$2.18 ₱132

537.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.16 ₱69.9

11.21%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$26.8K ₱1.6M

4.48%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$23.1K ₱1.4M

45.08%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$134 ₱8,101

-8.83%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$22.30 ₱1,350

-37.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$26.94 ₱1,631

-29.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$42.13 ₱2,550

45.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$6.77 ₱410

148.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$6.57 ₱398

35.31%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$354 ₱21.4K

95.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$11.2K ₱678.6K

44.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$47.31 ₱2,864

22.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$34.90 ₱2,113

1.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$82.5 ₱4,992

37.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$46.21 ₱2,798

79.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$500 ₱30.3K

21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$272 ₱16.5K

64.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$1,716 ₱103.9K

18.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$631 ₱38.2K

136.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

$4,360 ₱264.0K

-17.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

$2,599 ₱157.4K

-0.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$516 ₱31.2K

-2.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.52

-29.12%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Manila: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Phuket versus $500 in Manila. 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 2% higher in Manila, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $243 – making Manila 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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,223 in Phuket, $957 in Manila – roughly 28% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,835 per month in Phuket and $1,436 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manila, 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 $1,223 in Phuket and $957 in Manila. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 2% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Manila, where all-in costs run around $957, than in Phuket at $1,223. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $957 in Manila to $1,223 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Manila. 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.