Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Subic Bay Freeport Zone Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Subic Bay Freeport Zone

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $738 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,285 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,832 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Living in Phuket is roughly 69% more expensive than in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Subic Bay Freeport Zone 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.42 ₱272

2.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$16.02 ₱988

188.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$3.60 ₱222

145.56%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.44 ₱150

25.41%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.82 ₱50.7

-10.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.46 ₱28.30

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.44 ₱88.8

68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.37 ₱146

59.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.83 ₱113

23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.50 ₱92.8

20.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.93 ₱57.6

141.94%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.97 ₱122

14.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.91 ₱488

146.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.05 ₱311

-27.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$13.86 ₱855

-5.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.86 ₱176

12.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.81 ₱112

-10.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.38 ₱84.9

72.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.14 ₱70.2

78.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.75 ₱108

-12.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.42 ₱87.8

5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.12 ₱68.9

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.88 ₱54.1

-40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.47 ₱152

79.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.15 ₱503

124.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.77 ₱47.68

141.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.22 ₱137

20.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.22 ₱13.56

540.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$17.91 ₱1,105

-34.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.69 ₱42.80

350.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.27 ₱16.65

285.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.07 ₱128

581.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.16 ₱71.4

12.93%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$28.4K ₱1.8M

-2.09%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$17.4K ₱1.1M

90.46%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$129 ₱7,930

-4.78%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$10.97 ₱676

23.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$18.69 ₱1,153

0.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$31.70 ₱1,955

90.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$4.50 ₱278

277.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.38 ₱455

22.90%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$154 ₱9,498

358.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,271 ₱263.4K

269.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$45.13 ₱2,783

29.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$34.67 ₱2,138

1.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$69.8 ₱4,304

65.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$114 ₱7,014

-26.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$141 ₱8,672

344.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$87.0 ₱5,364

411.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$361 ₱22.3K

464.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$486 ₱30.0K

206.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,119 ₱130.7K

64.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$870 ₱53.7K

196.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.17

-13.61%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Subic Bay Freeport Zone: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $141 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $220 per month, with Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Subic Bay Freeport Zone is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,107 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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: $626 in Phuket versus $141 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $154 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $738 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Subic Bay Freeport Zone but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Subic Bay Freeport Zone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.