Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nueva Ecija

For one person, living is cheaper in Nueva Ecija: $517 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Nueva Ecija
Learn more

Nueva Ecija Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Nueva Ecija

🇵🇭 Philippines

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Nueva Ecija

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $517 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Nueva Ecija $517

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $912 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Nueva Ecija $912

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,307 in Nueva Ecija, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Nueva Ecija $1,307

Phuket costs about 147% more than Nueva Ecija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Nueva Ecija are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Nueva Ecija 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.85 ₱245

16.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$16.14 ₱1,028

100.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$2.72 ₱173

223.90%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.43 ₱91.1

97.90%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.55 ₱35.23

58.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.30 ₱19.40

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$0.94 ₱60.0

172.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.55 ₱98.6

137.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.60 ₱102

3.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.94 ₱59.8

55.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.92 ₱58.9

63.04%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.57 ₱100

33.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$4.89 ₱312

289.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.29 ₱210

0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$5.70 ₱363

91.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.18 ₱139

34.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.69 ₱43.88

144.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.69 ₱108

33.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.05 ₱67.0

98.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.73 ₱110

-12.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.77 ₱113

-22.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.64 ₱40.82

67.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.41 ₱26.44

26.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.25 ₱143

86.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$4.23 ₱269

344.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.90 ₱57.3

102.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.97 ₱125

44.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.28 ₱18.01

417.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$5.35 ₱341

959.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.73 ₱46.67

313.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.14 ₱8.75

628.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.03 ₱65.8

258.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.85 ₱54.4

72.94%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$15.8K ₱1.0M

69.58%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

40.71%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$78.6 ₱5,006

22.65%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$17.26 ₱1,100

-34.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$18.13 ₱1,155

-7.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$31.13 ₱1,983

115.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$4.65 ₱296

130.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.32 ₱275

73.61%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$133 ₱8,465

258.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$10.9K ₱692.8K

3.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$28.55 ₱1,819

118.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$19.54 ₱1,245

45.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$70.5 ₱4,489

33.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$53.9 ₱3,433

59.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$113 ₱7,222

531.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$66.9 ₱4,261

634.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$174 ₱11.1K

1005.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$348 ₱22.2K

310.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,619 ₱166.9K

59.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,200 ₱76.5K

153.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$184 ₱11.7K

172.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nueva Ecija: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Nueva Ecija

$67 12.9% 86.4% $424

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Nueva Ecija

$144 27.8% 46% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Nueva Ecija

$114 22% 8.4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Nueva Ecija

$78 15% 36.3% $44

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Nueva Ecija

$67 13% 44.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Nueva Ecija

$40 7.7% 51.6% $42

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Nueva Ecija

$7.9 1.5% 88.8% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $113 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 in Phuket are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $16 in Nueva Ecija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $144 – making Nueva Ecija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇭 Nueva Ecija

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

13:21 1:21 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

64,610

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Nueva Ecija 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Nueva Ecija

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 Nueva Ecija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 147% more than Nueva Ecija, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $776 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $113 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $16 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 $1,278 in Phuket and $517 in Nueva Ecija. That makes Nueva Ecija about 60% cheaper.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Nueva Ecija, where all-in costs run around $517, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Nueva Ecija it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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