Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Panglao Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Panglao

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $833 in Panglao, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,220 in Panglao, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,608 in Panglao, rent included.

Phuket costs about 48% more than Panglao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Panglao are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Panglao 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.53 ₱277

2.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$12.46 ₱762

275.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$4.41 ₱270

100.45%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$2.53 ₱155

18.58%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$0.84 ₱51.2

-11.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$0.28 ₱17.15

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$1.55 ₱95.0

57.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$1.94 ₱118

86.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$1.73 ₱106

30.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$1.07 ₱65.6

71.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$1.04 ₱63.8

115.38%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$1.97 ₱121

17.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$9.21 ₱563

113.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.20 ₱318

-29.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$7.69 ₱471

70.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$2.11 ₱129

60.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$1.46 ₱89.2

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$2.17 ₱132

11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$1.98 ₱121

2.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$2.56 ₱157

-39.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$2.56 ₱157

-41.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$0.91 ₱55.9

12.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.48 ₱29.32

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.71 ₱166

64.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$5.57 ₱341

238.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$0.93 ₱56.7

91.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$1.73 ₱106

58.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$0.26 ₱15.75

438.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$0.88 ₱53.6

254.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$0.23 ₱13.98

334.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$2.69 ₱164

423.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.08 ₱66.0

25.00%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$30.3K ₱1.9M

-10.41%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.6K ₱1.7M

19.18%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$98.6 ₱6,030

26.81%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$8.65 ₱529

56.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$26.57 ₱1,626

-30.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$14.57 ₱891

321.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$4.40 ₱269

282.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$4.48 ₱274

105.13%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$230 ₱14.1K

203.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$3,908 ₱239.1K

299.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$45.71 ₱2,796

26.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$23.12 ₱1,415

52.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$74.2 ₱4,542

52.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$53.8 ₱3,289

60.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$329 ₱20.1K

87.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$277 ₱17.0K

60.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$706 ₱43.2K

189.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$512 ₱31.3K

191.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

$983 ₱60.1K

284.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

$870 ₱53.2K

204.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

$132 ₱8,057

297.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Panglao: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $329 in Panglao. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 298% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $12.00 in Panglao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $196 – making Panglao 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 Panglao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 48% more than Panglao, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,250 in Panglao. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,232 in Phuket and $833 in Panglao. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $698 per month in Phuket and $230 in Panglao. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Panglao, where all-in costs run around $833, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Panglao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Panglao costs $833 versus $1,232 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Panglao. 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.