Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pagadian Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pagadian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $730 in Pagadian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,099 in Pagadian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,468 in Pagadian.

Living in Phuket is roughly 72% more expensive than in Pagadian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Pagadian 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.82 ₱239

19.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$17.08 ₱1,068

90.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$2.85 ₱178

212.28%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.95 ₱122

43.59%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.82 ₱51.3

7.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.23 ₱14.27

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.46 ₱91.1

63.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.92 ₱120

93.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.71 ₱107

4.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.21 ₱75.4

19.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.90 ₱56.0

75.56%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.85 ₱116

15.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$4.73 ₱296

321.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.16 ₱260

-17.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$6.85 ₱428

65.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.49 ₱156

18.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.45 ₱90.8

18.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$2.42 ₱151

-4.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.13 ₱70.4

84.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$2.28 ₱143

-35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$2.23 ₱140

-39.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.80 ₱49.75

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.56 ₱34.76

1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.94 ₱184

45.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$7.96 ₱498

131.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.96 ₱60.3

94.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$2.01 ₱126

45.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.25 ₱15.56

788.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$11.31 ₱707

102.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.69 ₱42.95

339.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.23 ₱14.40

365.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$1.93 ₱120

103.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.05 ₱65.4

41.90%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$24.6K ₱1.5M

10.22%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

33.16%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$124 ₱7,751

-17.06%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$16.40 ₱1,026

-32.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$26.48 ₱1,656

-33.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$31.92 ₱1,996

67.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$4.80 ₱300

133.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.40 ₱338

38.52%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$153 ₱9,562

264.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$7,142 ₱446.7K

65.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$33.99 ₱2,126

88.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$21.15 ₱1,323

37.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$67.9 ₱4,249

41.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$60.2 ₱3,762

50.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$271 ₱16.9K

169.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$151 ₱9,456

230.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$503 ₱31.5K

315.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$350 ₱21.9K

245.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,279 ₱142.5K

57.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,165 ₱72.9K

115.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $271 in Pagadian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Pagadian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $178 per month, with Pagadian 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 Pagadian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Pagadian differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($1,253 vs $730 including rent). Pagadian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $1,095 in Pagadian to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $271 in Pagadian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pagadian – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,253 per month in Phuket versus $730 in Pagadian – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $730 in Pagadian versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pagadian but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pagadian the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Pagadian 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 Pagadian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.