Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Siargao Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Siargao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $777 in Siargao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Siargao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,662 in Siargao.

Living in Phuket is roughly 59% more expensive than Siargao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Siargao 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿150

$3.62 ₱220

27.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,515

$19.32 ₱1,174

142.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿286

$3.25 ₱197

172.00%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿96.9

$2.50 ₱152

20.00%

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

$0.74 ฿23.98

$0.79 ₱47.88

-6.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.82

$0.39 ₱23.87

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿78.9

$1.24 ₱75.3

96.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$2.15 ₱131

67.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.1

$1.83 ₱111

23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.5

$1.25 ₱76.3

47.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿72.6

$1.03 ₱62.4

117.48%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿74.9

$2.08 ₱127

11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿636

$7.94 ₱483

147.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿118

$4.28 ₱260

-14.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿424

$7.76 ₱471

68.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$2.85 ₱173

18.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.1

$1.55 ₱94.3

5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.1

$2.61 ₱159

-7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿65.6

$1.55 ₱94.4

30.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.3

$2.32 ₱141

-32.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.40

$2.58 ₱157

-41.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.13

$1.07 ₱64.8

-4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.82

$0.75 ₱45.82

-34.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿144

$2.90 ₱176

53.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿610

$6.65 ₱404

183.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.4

$1.15 ₱70.0

54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.1

$2.03 ₱124

35.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.31

$0.28 ₱17.08

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$0.81 ₱49.29

285.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.31

$0.24 ₱14.66

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿456

$2.09 ₱127

574.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.70

$1.11 ₱67.5

21.62%

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

$27.2K ฿879.1K

$26.9K ₱1.6M

0.88%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

58.16%

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

$125 ฿4,042

$112 ₱6,832

11.17%

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

$13.57 ฿439

$32.29 ₱1,962

-57.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿599

$27.94 ₱1,698

-33.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,988

$34.37 ₱2,089

78.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿545

$4.36 ₱265

286.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿297

$6.00 ₱365

53.17%

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

$698 ฿22.6K

$154 ₱9,374

352.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿504.3K

$4,321 ₱262.6K

260.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,868

$46.59 ₱2,831

23.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,140

$26.07 ₱1,584

35.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,658

$75.4 ₱4,582

50.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,793

$53.7 ₱3,260

61.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿19.9K

$262 ₱15.9K

134.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.4K

$176 ₱10.7K

153.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.2K

$577 ₱35.1K

254.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.3K

$393 ₱23.9K

279.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.2K

$2,335 ₱141.9K

61.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿85.7K

$829 ₱50.4K

219.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Siargao: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $262 in Siargao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $19 in Siargao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $202 per month, with Siargao 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 Siargao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Siargao is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,165 in Siargao 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: $616 in Phuket versus $262 in Siargao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $154 in Siargao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Siargao – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $777 in Siargao versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Siargao but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Siargao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Siargao 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 Siargao 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 Siargao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.