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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $760 in Pagadian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,074 in Pagadian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,389 in Pagadian.

Living in Phuket is roughly 66% more expensive than Pagadian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Pagadian 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.57 ₱220

31.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$18.01 ₱1,110

151.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.20 ₱197

163.44%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.90 ₱179

1.03%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.93 ₱57.1

-25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.43 ₱26.38

-13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.08 ₱66.3

123.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.76 ₱108

111.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.71 ₱106

30.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.07 ₱66.1

71.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.97 ₱59.8

123.71%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.03 ₱125

8.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.25 ₱508

139.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.98 ₱307

-27.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$5.85 ₱361

131.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$3.64 ₱224

-9.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.12 ₱69.3

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.42 ₱211

-29.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.34 ₱82.4

55.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.65 ₱164

-42.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$3.46 ₱213

-57.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.07 ₱66.1

-7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.70 ₱43.42

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.71 ₱167

62.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.91 ₱488

145.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.05 ₱64.6

69.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.54 ₱94.8

75.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.26 ₱16.03

426.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$7.18 ₱443

58.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.82 ₱50.9

268.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.24 ₱14.87

312.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.10 ₱129

571.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.19 ₱73.2

14.29%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$26.9K ₱1.7M

5.03%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.2K ₱1.2M

62.68%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$96.0 ₱5,919

26.80%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$33.16 ₱2,045

-59.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$27.38 ₱1,688

-33.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$33.61 ₱2,072

79.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.53 ₱279

278.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.95 ₱367

46.05%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$149 ₱9,190

365.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,359 ₱268.8K

259.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$45.37 ₱2,798

31.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$26.79 ₱1,652

29.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$74.5 ₱4,592

53.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$53.1 ₱3,271

57.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$113 ₱6,956

443.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$177 ₱10.9K

147.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$248 ₱15.3K

743.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$150 ₱9,271

903.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,118 ₱130.6K

77.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$966 ₱59.6K

170.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $113 in Pagadian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Pagadian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 66% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $760 including rent). Pagadian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,140 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: $613 in Phuket versus $113 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $760 in Pagadian – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $760 in Pagadian versus $1,265 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 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.