Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pangasinan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pangasinan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $836 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,267 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,699 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 51% more than Pangasinan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Phuket and Pangasinan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Pangasinan 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$1.31 ₱79.3

248.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$15.15 ₱920

207.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.15 ₱191

168.89%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$0.94 ₱57.2

222.34%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.42 ₱25.75

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.26 ₱15.59

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.39 ₱84.6

79.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.08 ₱127

75.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.26 ₱76.7

73.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.87 ₱53.0

118.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.81 ₱49.17

171.60%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.24 ₱136

-0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.23 ₱500

142.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.43 ₱269

-17.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.98 ₱484

66.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$4.57 ₱278

-29.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.00 ₱122

-15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.69 ₱163

-11.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.25 ₱137

-7.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$3.28 ₱199

-51.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.86 ₱174

-48.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.08 ₱65.7

-4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.00 ₱60.9

-48.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.86 ₱174

48.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.21 ₱498

128.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.24 ₱75.3

41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.24 ₱136

23.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.26 ₱15.67

423.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.81 ₱49.24

287.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.14 ₱8.36

642.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$3.45 ₱210

299.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.15 ₱69.8

16.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$33.5K ₱2.0M

-17.36%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$21.8K ₱1.3M

55.69%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$173 ₱10.5K

-28.61%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$27.38 ₱1,663

-50.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$35.46 ₱2,153

-47.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$34.45 ₱2,092

79.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$4.33 ₱263

298.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$8.22 ₱499

11.19%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$151 ₱9,173

365.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,392 ₱266.7K

261.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$58.4 ₱3,545

1.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$35.92 ₱2,181

-2.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$85.5 ₱5,190

34.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$52.8 ₱3,204

59.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$263 ₱16.0K

135.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$177 ₱10.8K

143.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$590 ₱35.8K

249.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$400 ₱24.3K

278.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,469 ₱149.9K

47.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$965 ₱58.6K

172.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $263 in Pangasinan. 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $15.00 in Pangasinan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $220 – making Pangasinan 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 Pangasinan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 51%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,253 in Pangasinan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pangasinan, 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 $47.00 in Phuket and $15.00 in Pangasinan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% 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 Pangasinan, where all-in costs run around $836, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Pangasinan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pangasinan – 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 Pangasinan. 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.