Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sorsogon City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sorsogon City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $786 in Sorsogon City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,220 in Sorsogon City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,654 in Sorsogon City.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.59 ₱220

24.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$17.99 ₱1,101

153.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.37 ₱206

159.94%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.38 ₱146

24.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.77 ₱47.33

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.39 ₱23.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.37 ₱83.7

84.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.18 ₱133

72.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.91 ₱117

12.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.26 ₱77.4

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.01 ₱61.9

115.84%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.00 ₱123

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.95 ₱487

151.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.16 ₱255

-12.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.90 ₱484

71.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.90 ₱178

11.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.60 ₱97.7

2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.66 ₱163

-12.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.56 ₱95.7

32.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.29 ₱140

-32.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.60 ₱159

-43.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.06 ₱64.8

-7.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.77 ₱47.24

-37.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.91 ₱178

49.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.16 ₱500

127.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.15 ₱70.2

61.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.98 ₱121

33.84%

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

$0.78 ₱47.94

306.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.22 ₱13.39

368.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.19 ₱134

534.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.15 ₱70.3

16.52%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$26.9K ₱1.6M

3.45%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.1K ₱1.2M

65.71%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$110 ₱6,749

11.60%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$32.76 ₱2,005

-57.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$27.79 ₱1,701

-34.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$33.54 ₱2,053

80.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.39 ₱269

290.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.90 ₱361

50.34%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$151 ₱9,243

355.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,281 ₱262.0K

268.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$44.96 ₱2,752

31.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$26.78 ₱1,640

29.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$74.8 ₱4,580

53.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$53.2 ₱3,257

57.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$262 ₱16.0K

137.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$179 ₱10.9K

149.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$584 ₱35.7K

248.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$402 ₱24.6K

272.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,046 ₱125.2K

68.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$934 ₱57.1K

171.13%

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 Sorsogon City: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Sorsogon City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $206 per month, with Sorsogon 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 Sorsogon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sorsogon City 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 $1,179 in Sorsogon City 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 Sorsogon City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $151 in Sorsogon City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sorsogon City – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $786 in Sorsogon City versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sorsogon City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sorsogon City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sorsogon 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 Sorsogon 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 Sorsogon City 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.