Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Palawan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Palawan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $790 in Palawan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,218 in Palawan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,645 in Palawan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 60% more than Palawan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Palawan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Palawan 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.62 ₱221

23.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$19.71 ₱1,206

131.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.39 ₱207

158.41%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.53 ₱155

17.39%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.78 ₱47.76

-11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.37 ₱22.44

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.24 ₱76.2

104.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.15 ₱131

74.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.86 ₱114

15.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.27 ₱77.6

43.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.94 ₱57.5

131.91%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.09 ₱128

7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.95 ₱486

151.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.27 ₱261

-14.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.59 ₱464

78.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.96 ₱181

9.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.56 ₱95.8

5.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.63 ₱161

-11.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.61 ₱98.3

28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.30 ₱141

-32.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.53 ₱155

-42.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.11 ₱67.7

-11.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.77 ₱47.02

-37.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.86 ₱175

52.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.78 ₱415

173.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.20 ₱73.7

55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.02 ₱124

31.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.26 ₱15.72

446.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.81 ₱49.68

291.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.24 ₱14.72

329.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.15 ₱131

546.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.13 ₱69.2

18.58%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.5K ₱1.6M

5.05%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

61.38%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$114 ₱7,008

7.48%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$32.72 ₱2,003

-57.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$27.08 ₱1,658

-32.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$34.46 ₱2,110

76.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.35 ₱266

294.48%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.95 ₱364

49.08%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$149 ₱9,149

360.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,352 ₱266.4K

262.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$45.09 ₱2,760

31.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$26.88 ₱1,645

29.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$74.5 ₱4,563

54.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$54.2 ₱3,317

54.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$262 ₱16.1K

136.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$177 ₱10.8K

152.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$598 ₱36.6K

240.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$398 ₱24.3K

276.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,386 ₱146.1K

44.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$947 ₱57.9K

167.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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 27, 2026

Last update for Palawan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $262 in Palawan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $20.00 in Palawan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $203 – making Palawan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Palawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 60%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,185 in Palawan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palawan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $20.00 in Palawan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Palawan, where all-in costs run around $790, than in Phuket at $1,264. In Palawan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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