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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $906 in Quezon City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,375 in Quezon City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,844 in Quezon City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than Quezon City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Quezon City 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.89 ₱302

-3.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$21.49 ₱1,326

111.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.12 ₱193

170.19%

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 ₱23.28

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.22 ₱75.4

97.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.71 ₱167

37.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$2.16 ₱133

3.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.20 ₱74.2

52.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.08 ₱66.5

100.93%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.03 ₱125

8.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.10 ₱438

178.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.24 ₱261

-14.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.39 ₱456

83.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$4.36 ₱269

-24.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.60 ₱98.7

0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.98 ₱184

-19.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.63 ₱101

27.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.89 ₱178

-47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$4.16 ₱256

-64.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.57 ₱97.0

-36.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.05 ₱64.5

-51.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.13 ₱193

40.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$7.20 ₱445

169.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.55 ₱95.5

14.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.02 ₱125

34.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.46 ₱28.19

197.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.84 ₱51.7

259.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.25 ₱15.25

296.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.16 ₱134

552.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.09 ₱67.2

24.77%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$25.3K ₱1.6M

11.68%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.2K ₱1.2M

62.60%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$161 ₱9,952

-24.54%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$33.64 ₱2,075

-59.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$30.00 ₱1,851

-38.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$24.35 ₱1,502

147.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$6.34 ₱391

170.35%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.22 ₱445

20.36%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$79.8 ₱4,924

768.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$2,821 ₱174.1K

456.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$31.80 ₱1,962

87.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$29.11 ₱1,796

19.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$98.7 ₱6,089

16.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$95.6 ₱5,898

-12.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$274 ₱16.9K

124.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$198 ₱12.2K

120.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$737 ₱45.5K

183.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$430 ₱26.5K

251.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$2,363 ₱145.8K

58.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,479 ₱91.3K

76.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$436 ₱26.9K

16.50%

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 Quezon City: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $274 in Quezon City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 17% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Quezon City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 17% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $274 in Quezon City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $79.8 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $906 in Quezon City versus $1,265 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 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.