Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Olongapo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Olongapo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $706 in Olongapo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $1,065 in Olongapo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $1,424 in Olongapo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 69% more expensive than in Olongapo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Olongapo 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$4.01 ₱252

8.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,090

$17.08 ₱1,071

89.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿283

$2.86 ₱179

194.41%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.2

$1.85 ₱116

51.89%

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

$0.87 ฿29.38

$0.60 ₱37.78

45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.44

$0.31 ₱19.67

48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.8

$1.01 ₱63.5

156.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$1.48 ₱92.8

145.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.3

$1.70 ₱106

0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.56

$0.39 ₱24.28

271.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$0.82 ₱51.2

90.24%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.5

$1.96 ₱123

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿656

$5.21 ₱327

274.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$2.54 ₱159

33.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$8.10 ₱508

37.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿95.1

$2.21 ₱139

28.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$0.92 ₱57.6

76.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.7

$2.42 ₱152

-8.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿72.1

$1.09 ₱68.4

97.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.1

$1.73 ₱109

-13.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.53

$1.80 ₱113

-26.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.82

$0.62 ₱39.14

72.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.06

$0.41 ₱25.90

24.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$2.99 ₱188

46.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿630

$8.92 ₱559

110.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$0.96 ₱60.0

81.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.2

$2.10 ₱132

32.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.8

$0.27 ₱17.02

703.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿748

$11.04 ₱693

101.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$0.77 ₱48.30

292.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.53

$0.23 ₱14.40

360.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿125

$1.97 ₱124

88.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.03

$1.10 ₱68.8

30.00%

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

$26.3K ฿884.7K

$21.4K ₱1.3M

22.92%

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

$26.2K ฿879.9K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

36.64%

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

$96.7 ฿3,246

$129 ₱8,088

-25.04%

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

$11.41 ฿383

$17.64 ₱1,106

-35.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿574

$23.07 ₱1,447

-25.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,773

$33.14 ₱2,079

59.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿372

$4.63 ₱290

139.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿257

$4.31 ₱270

77.49%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$78.8 ₱4,945

603.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿378.8K

$10.8K ₱676.9K

4.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,130

$28.91 ₱1,813

119.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿961

$19.33 ₱1,213

48.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,248

$73.1 ₱4,588

32.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,975

$56.3 ₱3,528

57.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.7K

$272 ₱17.1K

169.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.4K

$180 ₱11.3K

154.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.6K

$266 ₱16.7K

689.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.9K

$362 ₱22.7K

228.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.3K

$2,469 ₱154.9K

41.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.7K

$1,010 ₱63.3K

146.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$137 ₱8,578

266.26%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Olongapo: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $272 in Olongapo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 266% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Olongapo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $159 per month, with Olongapo cheaper across the board.

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 Olongapo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olongapo wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Olongapo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 266% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $735 in Phuket versus $272 in Olongapo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $78.8 in Olongapo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $706 in Olongapo versus $1,190 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Olongapo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Olongapo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Olongapo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $706 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Olongapo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Olongapo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Olongapo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.