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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $777 in Marawi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,220 in Marawi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,663 in Marawi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than Marawi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Marawi 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.53 ₱215

29.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$17.57 ₱1,067

165.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.21 ₱195

163.86%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.45 ₱149

23.67%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.77 ₱46.78

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.37 ₱22.25

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.36 ₱82.6

83.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.11 ₱128

73.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.82 ₱110

19.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.21 ₱73.5

57.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.94 ₱56.9

134.04%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.99 ₱121

11.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.00 ₱486

149.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.23 ₱257

-13.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.52 ₱457

76.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.01 ₱183

7.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.59 ₱96.3

6.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.69 ₱163

-11.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.54 ₱93.6

35.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.30 ₱139

-30.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.54 ₱154

-41.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.08 ₱65.5

-4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.73 ₱44.05

-28.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.77 ₱168

53.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.69 ₱528

116.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.19 ₱72.4

47.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.04 ₱124

35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.26 ₱15.66

423.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.78 ₱47.15

302.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.22 ₱13.34

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.19 ₱133

528.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.15 ₱70.0

16.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.2K ₱1.6M

5.61%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.5K ₱1.2M

65.15%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$113 ₱6,854

9.49%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$32.80 ₱1,992

-58.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$27.22 ₱1,653

-31.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$33.51 ₱2,035

84.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$4.54 ₱276

279.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.86 ₱356

55.97%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$153 ₱9,279

359.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,316 ₱262.1K

267.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$45.03 ₱2,734

32.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$26.69 ₱1,620

31.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$75.3 ₱4,570

53.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$53.8 ₱3,264

56.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$271 ₱16.4K

128.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$179 ₱10.9K

142.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$580 ₱35.2K

255.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$396 ₱24.0K

282.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,579 ₱156.6K

41.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,030 ₱62.6K

154.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$291 ₱17.6K

74.52%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Marawi: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $271 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 75% 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 $293 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 62% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $777 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 75% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $271 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $153 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 $777 in Marawi versus $1,261 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 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.