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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $710 in Sorsogon City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,104 in Sorsogon City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,498 in Sorsogon City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 73% more expensive than in Sorsogon City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Sorsogon City 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.63 ₱228

21.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$18.04 ₱1,133

78.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$2.75 ₱173

224.73%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.23 ₱140

30.04%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.57 ₱35.95

54.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.31 ₱19.44

54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.07 ₱67.2

119.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.95 ₱122

90.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.66 ₱104

12.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.98 ₱61.6

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.97 ₱60.6

59.79%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.92 ₱121

9.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$5.88 ₱369

233.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.06 ₱255

-15.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$6.91 ₱434

64.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.58 ₱162

15.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.36 ₱85.2

23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.37 ₱149

-6.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.32 ₱82.6

63.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.85 ₱116

-17.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.87 ₱117

-28.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.67 ₱42.20

68.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.52 ₱32.66

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.27 ₱205

30.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$7.88 ₱495

142.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.95 ₱59.9

87.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.98 ₱124

40.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.29 ₱18.52

668.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$9.87 ₱620

130.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.87 ₱54.5

248.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.22 ₱13.64

363.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.72 ₱108

126.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$0.96 ₱60.4

55.21%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$21.6K ₱1.4M

22.88%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$18.3K ₱1.2M

47.30%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$126 ₱7,942

-18.94%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$15.07 ₱947

-24.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$24.19 ₱1,520

-28.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$29.03 ₱1,824

79.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$5.25 ₱330

110.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.79 ₱363

32.82%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$147 ₱9,210

282.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$8,456 ₱531.3K

36.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$27.68 ₱1,739

127.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$22.07 ₱1,387

33.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$71.0 ₱4,458

38.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$51.9 ₱3,260

70.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$283 ₱17.8K

161.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$169 ₱10.6K

185.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$492 ₱30.9K

327.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$377 ₱23.7K

225.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$2,469 ₱155.1K

46.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,177 ₱73.9K

121.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Sorsogon City: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $283 in Sorsogon City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Sorsogon City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $176 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 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,065 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: $738 in Phuket versus $283 in Sorsogon City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $147 in Sorsogon City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $710 in Sorsogon City versus $1,232 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 73% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.