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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $769 in Marawi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,198 in Marawi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,626 in Marawi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than in Marawi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Marawi 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.65 ₱223

22.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$17.59 ₱1,077

159.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.33 ₱204

163.06%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.39 ₱146

24.27%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.83 ₱51.0

-16.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.36 ₱22.15

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.35 ₱82.7

87.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.10 ₱128

78.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.83 ₱112

17.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.28 ₱78.1

42.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.94 ₱57.4

131.91%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.01 ₱123

11.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.97 ₱488

150.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.36 ₱267

-16.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.63 ₱467

77.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$3.00 ₱184

8.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.57 ₱96.3

4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.58 ₱158

-9.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.54 ₱94.1

34.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.20 ₱134

-29.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.59 ₱158

-43.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.08 ₱65.8

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.75 ₱46.08

-36.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.88 ₱177

51.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.89 ₱483

135.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.20 ₱73.4

55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.06 ₱126

28.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.28 ₱17.25

407.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.84 ₱51.1

277.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.22 ₱13.43

368.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.10 ₱129

561.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.14 ₱69.9

17.54%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.3K ₱1.6M

5.67%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.1K ₱1.2M

66.46%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$111 ₱6,813

10.56%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$33.10 ₱2,026

-58.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$27.05 ₱1,656

-32.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$33.43 ₱2,046

81.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.54 ₱278

277.97%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.09 ₱373

45.65%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$150 ₱9,194

357.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,333 ₱265.3K

264.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$46.11 ₱2,823

28.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$26.87 ₱1,645

29.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$74.1 ₱4,538

55.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$53.1 ₱3,253

57.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$270 ₱16.5K

130.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$178 ₱10.9K

151.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$596 ₱36.5K

240.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$397 ₱24.3K

276.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,233 ₱136.7K

54.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$960 ₱58.7K

163.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$289 ₱17.7K

70.80%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Marawi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $270 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 71% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 64% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $769 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 71% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $270 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $150 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $769 in Marawi versus $1,264 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 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.