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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $968 in Manila, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,526 in Manila, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $2,085 in Manila, rent included.

Phuket costs about 31% more than Manila, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Manila are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Manila 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.40 ₱331

-17.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$26.20 ₱1,604

74.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.32 ₱264

102.78%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.65 ₱162

12.08%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.96 ₱58.6

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.54 ₱33.24

-27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.53 ₱93.4

65.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.73 ₱167

37.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.90 ₱116

13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.33 ₱81.5

36.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.09 ₱66.6

100.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.11 ₱129

6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$9.09 ₱556

120.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.12 ₱313

-29.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.32 ₱509

62.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.48 ₱213

-6.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.83 ₱112

-10.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.65 ₱224

-36.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.48 ₱152

-16.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.68 ₱164

-42.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$3.09 ₱189

-52.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.99 ₱122

-50.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.70 ₱42.73

-31.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.36 ₱206

29.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.94 ₱609

86.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.45 ₱88.6

28.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.15 ₱131

23.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.51 ₱31.48

178.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$12.06 ₱738

-4.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.87 ₱53.1

264.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.27 ₱16.66

281.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.09 ₱128

564.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.13 ₱69.0

18.58%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.5K ₱1.6M

4.71%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$23.0K ₱1.4M

44.96%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$136 ₱8,317

-9.44%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$22.22 ₱1,360

-38.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$27.60 ₱1,690

-33.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$42.74 ₱2,616

42.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$7.04 ₱431

143.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.67 ₱408

32.98%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$363 ₱22.2K

89.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$11.4K ₱694.8K

39.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$46.97 ₱2,875

26.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$34.66 ₱2,122

0.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$83.1 ₱5,084

38.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$46.23 ₱2,830

81.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$488 ₱29.9K

27.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$263 ₱16.1K

69.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,705 ₱104.4K

19.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$627 ₱38.4K

138.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$4,414 ₱270.2K

-21.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,526 ₱154.6K

0.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$492 ₱30.1K

0.40%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Manila: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $488 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 0% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $26.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $240 – 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: $1,264 in Phuket, $968 in Manila – roughly 31% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,452 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 $1,264 in Phuket and $968 in Manila. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 4% 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 $968, than in Phuket at $1,264. 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 $968 in Manila to $1,264 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.