Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Naga

For one person, living is cheaper in Naga: $552 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Naga, Philippines
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Naga
🇵🇭 Philippines
$552
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Naga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $552 in Naga.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Naga $552

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $845 in Naga.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Naga $845

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,138 in Naga.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Naga $1,138

Living in Phuket is roughly 132% more expensive than in Naga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Naga 59% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Naga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$5.10 ₱326
-12.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$13.37 ₱854
142.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$2.77 ₱177
218.05%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$2.74 ₱175
3.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$0.67 ₱42.90
29.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$0.22 ₱14.03
122.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$1.31 ₱83.4
95.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.09 ₱198
19.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Naga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.95 ₱125
-14.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$0.80 ₱51.1
82.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$0.77 ₱49.27
94.81%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.68 ₱107
24.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$10.06 ₱643
89.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$4.12 ₱264
-19.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$6.84 ₱437
59.50%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$1.90 ₱121
54.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.66 ₱106
1.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.41 ₱154
-6.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$2.37 ₱152
-12.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.53 ₱162
-40.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$2.21 ₱141
-37.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$4.63 ₱296
-76.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.60 ₱38.38
-13.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$2.76 ₱176
52.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$3.77 ₱241
398.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.53 ₱97.6
18.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Naga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$0.58 ₱36.83
420.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.19 ₱76.0
23.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Naga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$97.7 ₱6,243
-1.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$23.84 ₱1,523
-52.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$25.59 ₱1,635
-34.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Naga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$7.73 ₱494
769.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$4.80 ₱307
56.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Naga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$7,801 ₱498.4K
44.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Naga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Naga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$158 ₱10.1K
352.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$85.9 ₱5,487
471.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$240 ₱15.4K
701.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$195 ₱12.5K
632.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Naga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$138 ₱8,843
262.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
0
-

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Naga: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Naga
–
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Naga
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Naga
–
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Naga
–
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Naga
–
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Naga
–
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Naga
–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $158 in Naga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $13 in Naga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $202 per month, with Naga cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇭 Naga
🕒 Local time
04:34 4:34 AM
05:34 5:34 AM
1 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
115,750
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Naga 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Naga

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 Naga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and in Naga?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $552 in Naga, so Naga is about 57% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Phuket or Naga?
Average pay in Phuket is about 3.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and in Naga?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $158 in Naga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Naga – a meal for two runs $13 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Naga?
All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $552 in Naga – Naga is about 57% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $552 in Naga versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Naga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Naga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Naga?
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.
Is Phuket or Naga safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Naga are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Phuket and Naga?
It comes down to priorities – Naga wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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