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 $717 in Marawi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,102 in Marawi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,487 in Marawi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 72% more expensive than in Marawi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Marawi 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.61 ₱226

22.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$14.46 ₱907

123.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$2.77 ₱174

222.38%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.16 ₱136

34.26%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.58 ₱36.42

51.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.30 ₱19.08

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.26 ₱79.3

86.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.73 ₱109

115.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.69 ₱106

10.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.16 ₱72.6

26.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.95 ₱59.9

63.16%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.92 ₱121

9.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$5.30 ₱332

269.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.10 ₱257

-16.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$6.99 ₱438

62.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.27 ₱142

31.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.62 ₱101

3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.39 ₱150

-7.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.18 ₱73.8

83.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.02 ₱127

-24.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.95 ₱122

-31.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.77 ₱48.43

46.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.52 ₱32.70

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.21 ₱201

32.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$6.80 ₱427

180.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.81 ₱50.6

119.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.88 ₱118

47.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.26 ₱16.28

757.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$9.46 ₱593

140.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.76 ₱47.88

298.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.23 ₱14.48

343.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.75 ₱110

122.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.09 ₱68.1

36.70%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$20.3K ₱1.3M

30.64%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$22.1K ₱1.4M

22.33%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$108 ₱6,761

-4.94%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$12.81 ₱803

-11.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$24.42 ₱1,531

-28.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$36.16 ₱2,268

44.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$4.31 ₱270

156.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.88 ₱306

57.58%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$131 ₱8,237

326.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$8,059 ₱505.4K

42.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$31.86 ₱1,998

97.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$19.13 ₱1,200

54.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$70.3 ₱4,408

39.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$55.0 ₱3,447

61.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$262 ₱16.4K

181.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$172 ₱10.8K

179.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$492 ₱30.8K

328.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$351 ₱22.0K

249.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,956 ₱185.4K

22.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,034 ₱64.9K

151.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$284 ₱17.8K

74.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Marawi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $262 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 74% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $174 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 72% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $717 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 74% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $262 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $717 in Marawi – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Marawi runs roughly 140% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $717 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 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.