Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Muntinlupa

For one person, living is cheaper in Muntinlupa: $727 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Muntinlupa
Learn more

Muntinlupa Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Muntinlupa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Muntinlupa

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 Muntinlupa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $727 in Muntinlupa.

Phuket $1,278
Muntinlupa $727

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,154 in Muntinlupa.

Phuket $2,216
Muntinlupa $1,154

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,581 in Muntinlupa.

Phuket $3,154
Muntinlupa $1,581

Living in Phuket is roughly 76% more expensive than in Muntinlupa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Muntinlupa 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.93 ₱250

13.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$26.10 ₱1,662

24.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$2.79 ₱178

215.77%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.31 ₱147

22.51%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.92 ₱58.9

-5.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.45 ₱28.94

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.19 ₱75.6

115.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.84 ₱117

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.62 ₱103

2.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.19 ₱75.7

22.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.02 ₱65.2

47.06%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.98 ₱126

5.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.02 ₱320

279.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.66 ₱233

-9.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.89 ₱439

58.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.29 ₱146

27.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.50 ₱95.4

12.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.52 ₱161

-10.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.23 ₱78.1

69.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.69 ₱108

-10.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.86 ₱118

-25.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.06 ₱67.3

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.53 ₱34.03

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.91 ₱185

44.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.67 ₱552

116.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.29 ₱82.4

41.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.96 ₱125

44.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.24 ₱15.53

504.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$12.36 ₱787

358.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.71 ₱45.07

325.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.23 ₱14.68

343.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.90 ₱121

94.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.23 ₱78.4

19.51%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$21.2K ₱1.4M

26.27%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$19.3K ₱1.2M

38.30%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$122 ₱7,750

-20.82%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$15.80 ₱1,007

-28.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$24.08 ₱1,534

-30.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$31.18 ₱1,986

115.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$5.39 ₱343

99.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.99 ₱318

50.30%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$133 ₱8,458

258.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$8,812 ₱561.3K

27.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$32.76 ₱2,086

90.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$18.94 ₱1,207

50.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$75.5 ₱4,808

24.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$56.7 ₱3,610

51.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$281 ₱17.9K

154.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$166 ₱10.6K

195.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$493 ₱31.4K

291.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$395 ₱25.2K

262.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,645 ₱168.5K

57.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,105 ₱70.4K

175.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$595 ₱37.9K

-15.60%

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 Muntinlupa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Muntinlupa

$166 22.8% 66.2% $325

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Muntinlupa

$178 24.5% 33.2% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Muntinlupa

$162 22.2% 29.8% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Muntinlupa

$83 11.4% 32.1% $39

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Muntinlupa

$83 11.4% 32.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Muntinlupa

$41 5.7% 50% $41

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Muntinlupa

$15 2.1% 78.5% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $281 in Muntinlupa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muntinlupa pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $26 in Muntinlupa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $178 per month, with Muntinlupa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇭 Muntinlupa

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

08:02 8:02 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

543,445

💱 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.69 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.12 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Muntinlupa 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Muntinlupa

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 Muntinlupa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muntinlupa wins on cost – living expenses run 43% 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 16% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $281 in Muntinlupa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $133 in Muntinlupa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $727 in Muntinlupa versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 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 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 Muntinlupa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Muntinlupa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.