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 $822 in Panglao, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $1,139 in Panglao, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $1,456 in Panglao, rent included.

Phuket costs about 50% more than Panglao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Panglao are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Panglao 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.10 ₱194

42.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,075

$23.19 ₱1,454

39.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.00 ₱251

123.25%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.5

$2.16 ₱136

34.26%

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

$0.88 ฿29.33

$0.61 ₱38.14

44.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.03

$0.48 ₱30.41

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.61 ₱101

45.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.92 ₱121

93.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.2

$1.61 ₱101

16.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.86

$1.10 ₱69.2

33.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.98 ₱61.5

58.16%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.76 ₱111

19.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿653

$8.55 ₱536

129.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.38 ₱275

-21.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$7.66 ₱481

48.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.4

$1.89 ₱118

57.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.44 ₱90.1

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.6

$1.86 ₱117

18.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.52 ₱95.4

42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$2.36 ₱148

-35.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.59

$1.88 ₱118

-28.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.60

$1.18 ₱74.0

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$0.49 ₱30.85

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.80 ₱175

52.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿636

$5.75 ₱361

232.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.3

$0.80 ₱50.1

122.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.7

$1.63 ₱102

70.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.3

$0.24 ₱15.04

829.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿758

$9.55 ₱599

138.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.79 ₱49.30

283.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.09

$0.22 ₱13.80

363.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.94 ₱121

100.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.68

$0.90 ₱56.2

65.56%

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

$26.6K ฿885.7K

$21.4K ₱1.3M

24.36%

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

$27.0K ฿900.6K

$19.2K ₱1.2M

40.72%

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

$102 ฿3,414

$59.8 ₱3,749

71.41%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$6.83 ₱428

65.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿580

$24.22 ₱1,519

-28.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,735

$21.00 ₱1,317

148.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$4.69 ₱294

136.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$3.88 ₱243

98.20%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$130 ₱8,159

330.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.4K

$8,008 ₱502.1K

43.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,100

$32.21 ₱2,020

95.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿984

$19.23 ₱1,206

53.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,266

$68.6 ₱4,299

42.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,949

$56.3 ₱3,528

57.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$279 ₱17.5K

164.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$347 ₱21.8K

38.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.2K

$564 ₱35.4K

273.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$398 ₱25.0K

207.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.5K

$971 ₱60.9K

272.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$844 ₱52.9K

208.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.2

-22.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Panglao: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $279 in Panglao. 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $23.00 in Panglao. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $182 – 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 50% 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 $1,232 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.

Groceries cost about 50% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $23.00 in Panglao. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Panglao, where all-in costs run around $822, 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 $822 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.