Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Muntinlupa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Muntinlupa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $724 in Muntinlupa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,148 in Muntinlupa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,572 in Muntinlupa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 70% more expensive than in Muntinlupa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Muntinlupa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.90 ₱244

13.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$27.24 ₱1,709

18.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$2.82 ₱177

216.67%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.32 ₱146

25.00%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.94 ₱59.1

-6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.47 ₱29.58

2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.20 ₱75.4

95.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.81 ₱113

105.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.71 ₱107

9.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.16 ₱73.0

26.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.00 ₱62.9

55.00%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.01 ₱126

4.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$4.94 ₱310

296.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.77 ₱237

-9.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$6.88 ₱431

65.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.33 ₱146

27.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.54 ₱96.5

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.45 ₱154

-9.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.30 ₱81.8

66.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.72 ₱108

-11.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.93 ₱121

-30.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.78 ₱48.76

44.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.54 ₱34.13

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.93 ₱183

45.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.60 ₱539

121.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.26 ₱79.1

41.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.00 ₱126

39.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.27 ₱16.68

725.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$11.43 ₱717

98.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.81 ₱50.9

274.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.23 ₱14.44

343.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.95 ₱122

99.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.19 ₱74.7

25.21%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

25.10%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

42.62%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$125 ₱7,814

-17.75%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$15.07 ₱945

-24.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$23.99 ₱1,505

-27.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$32.15 ₱2,017

61.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$4.54 ₱285

143.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.21 ₱327

47.60%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$134 ₱8,381

319.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$8,842 ₱554.6K

30.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$32.10 ₱2,014

96.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$19.74 ₱1,238

49.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$77.7 ₱4,871

26.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$57.6 ₱3,612

53.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$240 ₱15.1K

207.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$169 ₱10.6K

184.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$491 ₱30.8K

329.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$401 ₱25.1K

205.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,576 ₱161.6K

40.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,049 ₱65.8K

148.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$617 ₱38.7K

-20.05%

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 Muntinlupa: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $240 in Muntinlupa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muntinlupa pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Muntinlupa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $178 per month, with Muntinlupa 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 Muntinlupa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muntinlupa wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Muntinlupa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Muntinlupa. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $240 in Muntinlupa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $134 in Muntinlupa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $724 in Muntinlupa versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Muntinlupa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Muntinlupa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Muntinlupa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $724 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Muntinlupa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Muntinlupa 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 Muntinlupa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.