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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $845 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,252 in Pangasinan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,658 in Pangasinan, rent included.

Phuket costs about 46% more than Pangasinan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Phuket and Pangasinan are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Pangasinan 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.35 ₱83.3

242.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$14.91 ₱920

214.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.03 ₱187

191.75%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$0.94 ₱57.9

219.15%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.46 ₱28.39

60.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.26 ₱16.01

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.36 ₱83.6

79.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.16 ₱133

67.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.21 ₱74.6

86.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.93 ₱57.3

97.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.83 ₱51.0

169.88%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.27 ₱140

2.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.92 ₱489

148.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.38 ₱270

-16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.74 ₱478

69.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.46 ₱275

-23.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.00 ₱123

-18.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.59 ₱160

-6.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.28 ₱141

-10.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$3.39 ₱209

-53.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.84 ₱175

-47.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.13 ₱69.6

-9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.00 ₱62.0

-51.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.96 ₱182

50.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.04 ₱496

134.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.25 ₱77.1

42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.30 ₱142

19.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.28 ₱17.43

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.77 ₱47.37

305.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.13 ₱7.73

669.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$3.50 ₱216

302.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.11 ₱68.4

21.62%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$33.3K ₱2.1M

-18.44%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.1K ₱1.4M

49.19%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$173 ₱10.7K

-27.69%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$26.91 ₱1,660

-49.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$35.75 ₱2,205

-48.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$33.68 ₱2,077

82.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$4.50 ₱278

274.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$8.01 ₱494

14.73%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$153 ₱9,446

355.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,366 ₱269.3K

257.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$60.6 ₱3,741

-4.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$35.42 ₱2,185

-0.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$84.7 ₱5,226

33.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$53.4 ₱3,291

61.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$271 ₱16.7K

127.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$180 ₱11.1K

147.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$588 ₱36.3K

248.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$400 ₱24.7K

272.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,066 ₱127.5K

82.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Pangasinan: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $271 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: $292 vs $218 – 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 46%, 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,268 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 34% 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 $845, than in Phuket at $1,232. 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.