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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $819 in Puerto Princesa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,172 in Puerto Princesa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,526 in Puerto Princesa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 53% more expensive than in Puerto Princesa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Puerto Princesa 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.13 ₱255

10.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$26.50 ₱1,634

74.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.38 ₱270

101.83%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.42 ₱149

26.45%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.63 ₱38.73

15.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.39 ₱23.83

2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.27 ₱78.2

91.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.75 ₱108

116.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.59 ₱98.0

42.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.14 ₱70.2

58.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.85 ₱52.6

164.71%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.87 ₱115

20.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.03 ₱557

116.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.94 ₱305

-26.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.31 ₱389

106.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.58 ₱221

-9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.99 ₱61.3

63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$3.52 ₱217

-32.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.93 ₱57.3

118.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.81 ₱112

-15.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.32 ₱81.3

13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.08 ₱66.8

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.78 ₱47.99

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.10 ₱191

43.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.11 ₱439

157.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.07 ₱66.2

73.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.79 ₱111

49.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.26 ₱15.83

442.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.78 ₱110

74.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.22 ₱13.49

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.17 ₱134

550.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.17 ₱72.0

11.97%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$14.1K ₱867.0K

97.86%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

60.60%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$121 ₱7,467

1.12%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$13.75 ₱848

-1.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$33.59 ₱2,071

-44.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$26.78 ₱1,651

125.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$4.35 ₱268

290.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.45 ₱336

66.42%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$63.0 ₱3,884

1021.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,379 ₱270.0K

260.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$45.36 ₱2,797

29.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$26.99 ₱1,664

31.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$74.4 ₱4,589

55.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$53.7 ₱3,311

55.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$287 ₱17.7K

118.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$226 ₱13.9K

96.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$449 ₱27.7K

354.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$307 ₱19.0K

385.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,412 ₱148.7K

44.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$965 ₱59.5K

166.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$226 ₱13.9K

121.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.25

-35.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Puerto Princesa: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $287 in Puerto Princesa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 122% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Puerto Princesa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $196 per month, with Puerto Princesa 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 Princesa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Princesa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 122% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $287 in Puerto Princesa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $63.0 in Puerto Princesa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Princesa – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $819 in Puerto Princesa versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Princesa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Princesa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puerto Princesa 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 Princesa 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 Princesa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.