Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Negros

For one person, living is cheaper in Negros: $741 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Negros, Philippines
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Negros
🇵🇭 Philippines
$741
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Negros

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $741 in Negros, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Negros $741

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,093 in Negros, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Negros $1,093

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,445 in Negros, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Negros $1,445

Phuket costs about 73% more than Negros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Negros are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Negros 46% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Negros
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$3.22 ₱206
38.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$11.88 ₱759
172.81%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$2.70 ₱172
226.30%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.2
$1.38 ₱87.9
105.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.36
$0.69 ₱44.19
26.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.63
$0.41 ₱25.99
19.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$1.14 ₱72.5
124.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$1.90 ₱121
93.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Negros
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.90 ₱122
-12.63%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.24
$1.13 ₱72.4
29.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$0.97 ₱61.8
54.64%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$1.92 ₱123
8.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$9.50 ₱607
100.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$4.35 ₱277
-24.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$7.27 ₱464
50.07%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$3.29 ₱210
-10.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$1.35 ₱86.3
25.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$2.36 ₱151
-4.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿69.9
$1.45 ₱92.4
43.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$2.30 ₱147
-34.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.45
$1.92 ₱122
-28.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.90
$1.10 ₱70.5
-2.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.48
$0.60 ₱38.45
-13.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$2.93 ₱187
43.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$6.23 ₱398
201.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$1.21 ₱77.5
50.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$1.70 ₱108
67.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Negros
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.91
$0.25 ₱15.73
480.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
$11.20 ₱715
405.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$0.73 ₱46.72
313.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.28
$0.22 ₱14.05
363.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$1.89 ₱121
95.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.69
$1.36 ₱86.7
8.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.1K
$21.2K ₱1.4M
26.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.2K
$19.0K ₱1.2M
40.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Negros
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,246
$118 ₱7,507
-18.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$15.78 ₱1,008
-28.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$27.98 ₱1,786
-39.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Negros
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,265
$32.93 ₱2,103
104.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
$5.62 ₱359
90.93%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$5.32 ₱340
40.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Negros
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$131 ₱8,387
262.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.5K
$7,971 ₱508.9K
41.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Negros
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,101
$33.13 ₱2,115
88.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$19.33 ₱1,234
46.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,177
$75.9 ₱4,844
24.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,891
$56.0 ₱3,575
53.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Negros
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$270 ₱17.2K
165.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$175 ₱11.2K
180.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$480 ₱30.6K
301.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$308 ₱19.6K
365.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
$2,799 ₱178.7K
49.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
$1,194 ₱76.2K
154.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Negros
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$232 ₱14.8K
116.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
7
-20.43%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Negros: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Negros
$175 64.3% $316
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Negros
$200 25.1% $67
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Negros
$161 29.6% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Negros
$83 32% $39
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Negros
$64 47.2% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Negros
$44 47% $39
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Negros
$14 80.1% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $270 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 in Phuket are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $12 in Negros. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $200 – making Negros the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇭 Negros
🕒 Local time
08:16 8:16 AM
09:16 9:16 AM
1 h ahead of Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
4,414,131
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.69 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 63.85 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Negros 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Negros

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 Negros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Negros cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,111 in Negros. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Negros, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $270 there versus $716 in Phuket.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 80% less in Negros. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $131 in Negros. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Negros?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Negros, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Negros it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Negros more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Negros. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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