Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puerto Galera Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puerto Galera

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $881 in Puerto Galera.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,347 in Puerto Galera.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,813 in Puerto Galera.

Living in Phuket is roughly 44% more expensive than Puerto Galera, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Puerto Galera 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.91 ₱303

-4.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$21.69 ₱1,338

109.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.16 ₱195

166.77%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.85 ₱176

2.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.92 ₱56.8

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.38 ₱23.27

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.22 ₱75.3

97.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.59 ₱160

43.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$2.14 ₱132

4.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.21 ₱74.8

51.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.06 ₱65.3

104.72%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.96 ₱121

12.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.04 ₱435

180.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.17 ₱257

-12.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.22 ₱445

87.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$4.47 ₱276

-26.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.52 ₱94.0

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.86 ₱177

-15.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.63 ₱100

27.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.80 ₱173

-45.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$4.13 ₱255

-64.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.58 ₱97.6

-37.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.00 ₱62.0

-49.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.27 ₱202

34.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$7.49 ₱462

158.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.60 ₱98.8

11.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.01 ₱124

34.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.28 ₱17.46

389.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.77 ₱47.31

292.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.27 ₱16.78

266.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.17 ₱134

549.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.15 ₱70.7

18.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$26.0K ₱1.6M

8.42%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.0K ₱1.2M

64.10%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$165 ₱10.2K

-26.04%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$33.34 ₱2,057

-59.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$30.06 ₱1,855

-39.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$33.34 ₱2,057

80.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.39 ₱271

290.43%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.17 ₱442

21.20%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$81.9 ₱5,051

747.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$2,775 ₱171.2K

465.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$31.89 ₱1,967

86.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$29.78 ₱1,837

16.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$96.4 ₱5,946

18.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$95.4 ₱5,887

-12.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$271 ₱16.7K

126.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$174 ₱10.7K

150.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$587 ₱36.2K

256.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$394 ₱24.3K

282.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$2,176 ₱134.3K

72.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$896 ₱55.3K

191.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.13

-34.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Puerto Galera: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $271 in Puerto Galera. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Puerto Galera for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $222 per month, with Puerto Galera cheaper across the board.

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 Puerto Galera: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Galera is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,321 in Puerto Galera to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $271 in Puerto Galera. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $81.9 in Puerto Galera. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Galera – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $881 in Puerto Galera versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Galera but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Galera the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puerto Galera is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Puerto Galera are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Puerto Galera gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.