Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Marawi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Marawi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $782 in Marawi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,212 in Marawi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,643 in Marawi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than Marawi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Marawi 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.58 ₱221

29.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$18.02 ₱1,112

159.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.27 ₱202

170.34%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.44 ₱151

22.95%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.81 ₱50.2

-8.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.39 ₱24.13

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.35 ₱83.1

80.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.10 ₱129

71.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.92 ₱119

17.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.22 ₱75.5

50.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.93 ₱57.6

140.86%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.06 ₱127

12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.22 ₱507

139.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.30 ₱265

-15.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.79 ₱480

68.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.89 ₱178

17.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.59 ₱98.0

3.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.58 ₱159

-6.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.55 ₱95.5

30.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.25 ₱139

-30.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.53 ₱156

-40.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.11 ₱68.8

-8.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.76 ₱46.93

-35.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.80 ₱172

58.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.28 ₱449

159.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.19 ₱73.4

49.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.00 ₱123

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.28 ₱17.32

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.78 ₱48.06

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.24 ₱14.85

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.11 ₱130

567.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.10 ₱68.2

22.73%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.9K ₱1.7M

1.02%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

59.86%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$113 ₱6,948

10.96%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$32.89 ₱2,029

-58.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$27.09 ₱1,671

-31.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$34.55 ₱2,131

77.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$4.46 ₱275

277.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.96 ₱368

54.19%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$154 ₱9,474

354.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,228 ₱260.8K

268.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$44.90 ₱2,769

28.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$26.81 ₱1,654

31.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$75.6 ₱4,665

49.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$53.0 ₱3,266

63.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$261 ₱16.1K

136.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$177 ₱10.9K

151.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$585 ₱36.1K

249.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$393 ₱24.3K

279.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,531 ₱156.1K

49.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$246 ₱15.2K

976.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$296 ₱18.3K

77.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Marawi: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $261 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 77% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $205 per month, with Marawi 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 Marawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Marawi differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $782 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 77% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $261 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $154 in Marawi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Marawi – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $782 in Marawi versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marawi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Marawi 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 Marawi 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 Marawi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.