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 $802 in Siargao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,248 in Siargao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,693 in Siargao.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Siargao 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.65 ₱229

20.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$19.43 ₱1,218

66.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$3.28 ₱206

172.26%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.64 ₱166

9.85%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.76 ₱47.94

15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.40 ₱24.90

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.29 ₱80.7

82.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.17 ₱136

71.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.82 ₱114

2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.27 ₱79.5

15.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.03 ₱64.4

50.49%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.07 ₱130

1.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.04 ₱504

143.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.14 ₱260

-17.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$7.53 ₱472

51.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.85 ₱179

4.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.52 ₱95.0

10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.72 ₱171

-18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.55 ₱97.5

39.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.21 ₱139

-31.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.62 ₱165

-48.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.11 ₱69.8

1.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.76 ₱47.90

-27.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.92 ₱183

45.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.00 ₱439

172.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.21 ₱76.0

47.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.03 ₱127

36.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.26 ₱16.18

757.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$11.51 ₱722

97.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.83 ₱52.0

265.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.22 ₱13.73

363.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$2.15 ₱135

80.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.10 ₱69.2

35.45%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$26.2K ₱1.6M

1.36%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

30.09%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$111 ₱6,966

-7.73%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$33.42 ₱2,096

-66.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$27.75 ₱1,741

-37.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$33.34 ₱2,091

56.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$4.37 ₱274

153.32%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.76 ₱362

33.51%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$154 ₱9,688

262.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$4,282 ₱268.6K

168.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$46.52 ₱2,918

35.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$26.88 ₱1,686

9.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$74.4 ₱4,664

31.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$52.4 ₱3,286

68.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$263 ₱16.5K

180.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$178 ₱11.2K

171.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$577 ₱36.2K

265.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$393 ₱24.6K

211.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,350 ₱147.4K

53.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,028 ₱64.5K

153.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.67

-16.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Siargao: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $263 in Siargao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Siargao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 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 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,204 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: $738 in Phuket versus $263 in Siargao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $154 in Siargao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $802 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 53% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.