Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Marikina

For one person, living is cheaper in Marikina: $689 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Marikina
Learn more

Marikina Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Marikina

🇵🇭 Philippines

$689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Marikina

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Marikina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $689 in Marikina, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Marikina $689

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,068 in Marikina, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Marikina $1,068

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,447 in Marikina, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Marikina $1,447

Phuket costs about 85% more than Marikina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Marikina are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Marikina 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.94 ₱251

13.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$31.68 ₱2,019

2.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.21 ₱205

174.45%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.18 ₱139

29.82%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.59 ₱37.91

47.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.31 ₱19.59

58.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.03 ₱65.4

148.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.42 ₱154

52.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.80 ₱115

-7.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.26 ₱80.0

15.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.00 ₱63.6

50.00%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.00 ₱127

4.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$6.91 ₱440

175.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.15 ₱264

-20.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.74 ₱429

61.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.32 ₱148

26.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.00 ₱127

-15.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.38 ₱152

-5.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.30 ₱147

-9.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.38 ₱152

-36.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$3.53 ₱225

-60.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.06 ₱67.3

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.68 ₱43.09

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.83 ₱180

48.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.56 ₱545

119.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.95 ₱60.7

91.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.96 ₱125

44.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.48 ₱30.69

202.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.68 ₱43.44

344.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.21 ₱13.35

385.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.90 ₱121

94.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.18 ₱75.5

24.58%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

28.89%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$18.7K ₱1.2M

42.43%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$135 ₱8,620

-28.77%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$15.48 ₱987

-27.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$27.51 ₱1,753

-38.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$36.07 ₱2,298

86.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.83 ₱435

9.81%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$131 ₱8,367

262.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$7,188 ₱458.0K

56.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$58.3 ₱3,713

7.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$27.72 ₱1,766

2.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$73.3 ₱4,672

28.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$55.3 ₱3,524

55.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$177 ₱11.3K

303.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$78.7 ₱5,017

523.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$318 ₱20.2K

506.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$138 ₱8,793

936.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,099 ₱70.0K

279.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$467 ₱29.8K

552.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$384 ₱24.4K

30.91%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Marikina: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Marikina

$79 11.4% 84% $412

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Marikina

$201 29.2% 24.4% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Marikina

$178 25.9% 43.2% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Marikina

$97 14% 20.8% $25

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Marikina

$81 11.7% 33.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Marikina

$50 7.2% 39.5% $33

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Marikina

$3.7 * 0.5% 94.8% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $177 in Marikina. 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 31% 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 $32 in Phuket versus $32 in Marikina. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $201 in Marikina – so Marikina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇭 Marikina

🕒 Local time

04:14 4:14 AM

05:14 5:14 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

456,059

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Marikina 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Marikina

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Marikina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $689 in Marikina – Marikina comes out roughly 46% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,034 in Marikina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Marikina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $177 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $131 in Marikina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $689 in Marikina. That makes Marikina about 46% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Marikina, where all-in costs run around $689, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Marikina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Marikina – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Marikina. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.