Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nueva Ecija Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nueva Ecija

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $657 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,061 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,465 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Phuket costs about 92% more than Nueva Ecija, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Nueva Ecija are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Nueva Ecija 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.46 ₱271

2.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$35.59 ₱2,161

31.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.26 ₱198

159.82%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.35 ₱82.0

124.44%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.76 ₱46.43

-9.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.36 ₱21.96

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.91 ₱55.5

173.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.24 ₱136

63.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.97 ₱180

-26.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.00 ₱60.8

90.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.00 ₱60.6

120.00%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.70 ₱103

30.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.19 ₱498

144.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.82 ₱232

-4.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.33 ₱384

109.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$4.06 ₱247

-20.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.83 ₱50.6

104.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.87 ₱113

27.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.84 ₱112

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.74 ₱105

-8.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.19 ₱133

-32.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.29 ₱139

-55.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.47 ₱28.58

10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.46 ₱150

72.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$4.40 ₱267

327.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.40 ₱85.0

25.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.46 ₱149

12.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.30 ₱18.02

353.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$6.24 ₱379

82.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.79 ₱47.77

297.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.22 ₱13.28

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.18 ₱71.8

1066.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.96 ₱58.3

39.58%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$18.1K ₱1.1M

53.33%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$23.1K ₱1.4M

46.85%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$87.5 ₱5,313

41.25%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$32.89 ₱1,997

-58.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$20.22 ₱1,228

-7.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$34.01 ₱2,065

81.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$4.40 ₱267

292.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.10 ₱310

79.22%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$153 ₱9,318

357.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,263 ₱258.8K

272.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$45.69 ₱2,774

30.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$34.10 ₱2,070

2.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$69.4 ₱4,214

66.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$114 ₱6,899

-26.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$131 ₱7,927

373.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$75.9 ₱4,606

470.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$191 ₱11.6K

977.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$140 ₱8,507

978.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,471 ₱150.0K

47.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,011 ₱61.4K

159.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$196 ₱11.9K

158.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.17

-13.61%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Nueva Ecija: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $131 in Nueva Ecija. 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 158% 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $36.00 in Nueva Ecija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $200 – making Nueva Ecija 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 Nueva Ecija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 92% more than Nueva Ecija, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $986 in Nueva Ecija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nueva Ecija, 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 $47.00 in Phuket and $36.00 in Nueva Ecija. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Phuket and $657 in Nueva Ecija. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nueva Ecija, where all-in costs run around $657, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Nueva Ecija it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nueva Ecija costs $657 versus $1,261 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Nueva Ecija. 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.