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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $787 in Siargao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,212 in Siargao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,637 in Siargao.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than in Siargao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Siargao 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.49 ₱214

28.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$19.60 ₱1,200

132.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.32 ₱203

163.86%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.65 ₱162

12.08%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.82 ₱50.2

-15.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.37 ₱22.40

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.29 ₱79.3

96.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.15 ₱132

74.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.92 ₱117

11.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.26 ₱77.1

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.01 ₱62.0

115.84%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.06 ₱126

9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.18 ₱501

144.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.13 ₱253

-12.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.93 ₱486

71.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.87 ₱176

12.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.56 ₱95.3

5.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.58 ₱158

-9.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.55 ₱94.7

33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.20 ₱134

-29.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.54 ₱156

-42.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.11 ₱68.0

-11.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.77 ₱47.40

-37.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.88 ₱176

51.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.82 ₱418

172.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.19 ₱73.0

56.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.96 ₱120

35.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.26 ₱15.76

446.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.84 ₱51.3

277.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.22 ₱13.45

368.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.10 ₱129

561.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.10 ₱67.2

21.82%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.5K ₱1.6M

4.91%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.3K ₱1.2M

64.84%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$115 ₱7,010

7.45%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$33.42 ₱2,046

-58.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$27.94 ₱1,710

-34.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$34.02 ₱2,082

78.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.56 ₱279

276.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.04 ₱370

46.85%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$150 ₱9,167

359.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,291 ₱262.7K

267.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$45.86 ₱2,807

29.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$26.08 ₱1,597

33.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$74.2 ₱4,542

55.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$52.1 ₱3,190

60.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$262 ₱16.1K

136.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$177 ₱10.8K

152.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$595 ₱36.4K

241.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$390 ₱23.9K

283.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,351 ₱143.9K

46.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$936 ₱57.3K

170.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Siargao: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $262 in Siargao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Siargao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $204 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 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,181 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: $621 in Phuket versus $262 in Siargao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $150 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 $20.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $787 in Siargao versus $1,264 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 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.