Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Negros Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Negros

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $788 in Negros, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,231 in Negros, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,674 in Negros, rent included.

Phuket costs about 60% more than Negros, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Phuket and Negros are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Negros 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.54 ₱217

26.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$13.56 ₱832

236.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$3.05 ₱187

187.21%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.56 ₱95.9

90.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.33 ₱20.49

109.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.43 ₱26.24

-9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.36 ₱83.4

86.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.18 ₱134

72.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$2.20 ₱135

-2.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.57 ₱96.3

15.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.11 ₱68.2

96.40%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.34 ₱144

-3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$13.07 ₱802

53.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.39 ₱331

-32.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$7.49 ₱460

81.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$3.49 ₱214

-7.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.50 ₱92.1

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$3.33 ₱204

-30.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$2.27 ₱139

-8.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.58 ₱159

-39.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$2.53 ₱155

-42.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.93 ₱56.9

5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.79 ₱48.63

-39.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$3.24 ₱199

34.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$6.43 ₱395

188.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.16 ₱71.5

60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.34 ₱143

13.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.26 ₱15.77

446.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.86 ₱52.8

268.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.25 ₱15.47

312.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$2.60 ₱160

434.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.13 ₱69.6

18.58%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$30.7K ₱1.9M

-9.56%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.5K ₱1.7M

21.30%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$98.3 ₱6,036

25.17%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$33.77 ₱2,074

-59.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$29.29 ₱1,798

-37.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$34.11 ₱2,094

77.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$4.36 ₱267

293.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$5.88 ₱361

50.85%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$235 ₱14.4K

193.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$3,884 ₱238.5K

306.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$46.07 ₱2,828

28.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$23.31 ₱1,431

48.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$75.1 ₱4,610

53.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$56.4 ₱3,464

48.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$265 ₱16.3K

134.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$176 ₱10.8K

153.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$587 ₱36.0K

246.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$397 ₱24.4K

276.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$2,112 ₱129.7K

63.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$921 ₱56.6K

174.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$240 ₱14.7K

106.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-23.86%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Negros: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $265 in Negros. 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 106% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $14.00 in Negros. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $241 – making Negros the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Negros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 60%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,183 in Negros. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Negros, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $14.00 in Negros. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Negros, where all-in costs run around $788, than in Phuket at $1,264. In Negros it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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