Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quezon City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quezon City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $896 in Quezon City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,374 in Quezon City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,851 in Quezon City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 39% more expensive than in Quezon City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Quezon City 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.84 ₱298

-5.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$21.35 ₱1,317

116.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.19 ₱197

177.12%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.86 ₱176

6.99%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.95 ₱58.4

-23.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.35 ₱21.40

14.29%

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

$2.58 ₱159

46.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.17 ₱134

4.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.22 ₱75.2

48.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.07 ₱65.8

110.28%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.99 ₱123

13.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.14 ₱440

173.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.13 ₱255

-11.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.00 ₱432

86.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$4.42 ₱273

-26.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.59 ₱97.9

1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.96 ₱183

-19.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.63 ₱100

24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.77 ₱171

-44.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.20 ₱259

-64.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.59 ₱98.0

-38.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.05 ₱64.8

-50.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.20 ₱197

38.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.80 ₱481

134.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.54 ₱95.1

20.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.99 ₱123

34.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.46 ₱28.35

206.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.76 ₱47.14

309.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.25 ₱15.38

316.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.09 ₱129

575.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.14 ₱70.0

14.91%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$25.2K ₱1.6M

10.35%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.7K ₱1.3M

60.53%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$167 ₱10.3K

-26.60%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$33.45 ₱2,063

-59.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$29.64 ₱1,828

-36.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$24.65 ₱1,520

145.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$6.14 ₱379

176.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.00 ₱432

29.57%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$82.6 ₱5,097

754.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$2,782 ₱171.6K

468.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$31.68 ₱1,954

84.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$29.16 ₱1,798

21.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$99.2 ₱6,115

16.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$93.9 ₱5,789

-10.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$271 ₱16.7K

130.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$197 ₱12.1K

126.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$716 ₱44.2K

184.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$421 ₱26.0K

254.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,356 ₱145.3K

47.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,447 ₱89.3K

78.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$447 ₱27.6K

11.78%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Quezon City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $271 in Quezon City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 12% 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 $21.00 in Quezon City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $224 per month, with Quezon City 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 Quezon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quezon City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% 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 $271 in Quezon City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $82.6 in Quezon City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quezon City – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $896 in Quezon City versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quezon City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Quezon City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quezon City 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 Quezon City 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 Quezon City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.