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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $776 in Pagadian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,092 in Pagadian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,408 in Pagadian.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than in Pagadian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Pagadian 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.49 ₱215

30.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$17.85 ₱1,099

158.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$3.22 ₱198

174.53%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.90 ₱178

5.52%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.96 ₱58.8

-23.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.46 ₱28.18

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.08 ₱66.5

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.73 ₱107

118.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.72 ₱106

31.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.07 ₱66.0

69.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.03 ₱63.3

118.45%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.05 ₱126

9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.19 ₱504

138.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.87 ₱300

-25.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$5.85 ₱360

123.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.46 ₱213

-6.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.12 ₱68.9

44.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$3.36 ₱207

-29.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.38 ₱85.1

47.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.65 ₱163

-42.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.41 ₱210

-56.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.10 ₱67.9

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.75 ₱46.39

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.60 ₱160

70.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.31 ₱511

120.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.04 ₱64.3

78.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.47 ₱90.4

82.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.28 ₱17.29

403.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$7.15 ₱440

63.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.77 ₱47.55

303.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.22 ₱13.53

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$2.10 ₱129

571.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.25 ₱76.9

4.80%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$26.7K ₱1.6M

4.10%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

61.13%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$93.9 ₱5,784

30.34%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$32.31 ₱1,989

-57.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$26.98 ₱1,661

-30.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$33.52 ₱2,064

80.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$4.31 ₱265

293.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.79 ₱356

56.65%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$154 ₱9,480

358.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,303 ₱264.9K

267.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$46.08 ₱2,837

27.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$26.28 ₱1,618

34.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$74.2 ₱4,569

55.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$52.2 ₱3,213

60.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$112 ₱6,883

459.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$176 ₱10.8K

152.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$245 ₱15.1K

732.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$153 ₱9,426

874.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,755 ₱169.6K

26.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$908 ₱55.9K

183.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $112 in Pagadian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Pagadian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $204 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 61% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $776 including rent). Pagadian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,165 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: $626 in Phuket versus $112 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 $18.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,250 per month in Phuket versus $776 in Pagadian – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $776 in Pagadian versus $1,250 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 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.