Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Roxas Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Roxas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $615 in Roxas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $968 in Roxas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,322 in Roxas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 105% more expensive than Roxas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Roxas 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.74 ₱166

66.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$21.55 ₱1,309

116.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.52 ₱214

140.63%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.97 ₱119

53.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.56 ₱34.23

23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.21 ₱12.95

76.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.95 ₱57.9

162.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.80 ₱109

103.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.18 ₱71.5

84.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.07 ₱64.8

77.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.80 ₱48.46

175.00%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.24 ₱136

-0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$5.93 ₱360

237.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.92 ₱116

90.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.82 ₱414

94.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.30 ₱78.8

148.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.12 ₱68.2

51.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.41 ₱85.4

69.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.12 ₱68.0

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.04 ₱63.2

52.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.82 ₱50.0

80.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.06 ₱64.5

-2.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.45 ₱27.50

15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.99 ₱181

42.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.57 ₱338

237.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.26 ₱76.4

39.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.43 ₱86.9

93.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.28 ₱17.14

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.68 ₱41.17

361.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.24 ₱14.62

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.58 ₱157

433.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.14 ₱69.0

17.54%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$23.6K ₱1.4M

17.32%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$19.9K ₱1.2M

70.48%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$64.9 ₱3,941

90.43%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$9.09 ₱552

48.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$28.50 ₱1,730

-34.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$33.61 ₱2,041

83.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$4.35 ₱264

296.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.47 ₱332

67.09%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$34.93 ₱2,121

1911.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,368 ₱265.2K

263.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$45.86 ₱2,784

29.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$22.66 ₱1,376

54.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$62.5 ₱3,794

84.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$26.72 ₱1,623

214.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$359 ₱21.8K

72.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$175 ₱10.6K

147.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$576 ₱35.0K

257.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$392 ₱23.8K

285.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$586 ₱35.6K

-13.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Roxas: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $359 in Roxas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roxas pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Roxas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $142 per month, with Roxas 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 Roxas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roxas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Roxas earns 16% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $359 in Roxas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $34.93 in Roxas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Roxas – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $615 in Roxas versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Roxas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Roxas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Roxas 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 Roxas 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 Roxas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.