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 $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $666 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,069 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,472 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Phuket costs about 90% more than Nueva Ecija, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Nueva Ecija are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Nueva Ecija 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.31 ₱264

3.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$34.76 ₱2,128

31.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.35 ₱205

161.49%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.38 ₱84.5

115.22%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.81 ₱49.77

-14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.37 ₱22.44

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$0.86 ₱52.4

194.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.29 ₱140

63.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$3.01 ₱184

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.00 ₱61.2

82.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.95 ₱58.3

129.47%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.73 ₱106

30.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.80 ₱478

156.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.77 ₱231

-3.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$6.53 ₱400

107.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$4.15 ₱254

-21.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.81 ₱49.86

102.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.93 ₱118

20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.85 ₱113

11.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.68 ₱103

-7.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.20 ₱134

-33.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$2.30 ₱141

-57.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.48 ₱29.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.52 ₱154

72.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.38 ₱268

323.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.40 ₱85.5

32.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.52 ₱155

5.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.30 ₱18.08

373.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$6.25 ₱382

85.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.78 ₱48.00

306.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.22 ₱13.40

368.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.14 ₱69.6

1118.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.96 ₱58.8

39.58%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$17.4K ₱1.1M

59.31%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$23.5K ₱1.4M

42.10%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$88.3 ₱5,403

39.40%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$32.28 ₱1,976

-57.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$20.60 ₱1,261

-11.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$33.66 ₱2,061

80.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.52 ₱277

279.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.99 ₱305

77.76%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$150 ₱9,160

359.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,361 ₱267.0K

261.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$45.58 ₱2,790

30.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$34.41 ₱2,107

0.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$68.8 ₱4,214

67.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$113 ₱6,920

-25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$130 ₱7,947

378.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$76.4 ₱4,678

483.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$193 ₱11.8K

954.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$142 ₱8,693

953.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,427 ₱148.6K

42.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$853 ₱52.2K

196.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$196 ₱12.0K

152.16%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Nueva Ecija: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $130 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 152% 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 $35.00 in Nueva Ecija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 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 90% 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 $1,896 per month in Phuket and $999 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 $46.00 in Phuket and $35.00 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 $1,264 in Phuket and $666 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 $666, than in Phuket at $1,264. 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 $666 versus $1,264 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.