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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $658 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,006 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,353 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Living in Phuket is roughly 87% more expensive than in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Subic Bay Freeport Zone 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.75 ₱298

-7.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$14.45 ₱906

123.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.25 ₱329

70.10%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.20 ₱138

31.82%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.60 ₱37.36

46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.31 ₱19.45

54.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.47 ₱92.1

59.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.02 ₱127

84.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.60 ₱101

16.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.18 ₱74.0

24.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.06 ₱66.6

46.23%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.94 ₱122

8.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$4.57 ₱287

328.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.71 ₱233

-7.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$6.39 ₱401

78.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.22 ₱139

34.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.56 ₱98.1

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.65 ₱166

-16.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.18 ₱74.2

83.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.05 ₱128

-25.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.16 ₱136

-37.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.75 ₱47.27

50.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.60 ₱37.78

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.92 ₱183

45.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.02 ₱503

138.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.97 ₱60.8

83.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.90 ₱119

46.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.20 ₱12.52

1015.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$9.83 ₱616

131.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.81 ₱50.7

274.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.23 ₱14.37

343.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.85 ₱116

110.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.04 ₱65.2

43.27%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$21.9K ₱1.4M

21.47%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$16.7K ₱1.0M

61.56%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$141 ₱8,852

-27.39%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$15.67 ₱983

-27.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$16.38 ₱1,028

6.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$30.31 ₱1,901

71.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$4.68 ₱293

136.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.09 ₱319

51.08%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$129 ₱8,063

336.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,462 ₱468.0K

54.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$35.14 ₱2,204

79.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$19.42 ₱1,218

52.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$63.3 ₱3,972

54.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$50.8 ₱3,187

74.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$128 ₱8,040

475.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$78.6 ₱4,931

513.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$327 ₱20.5K

544.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$191 ₱12.0K

543.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,625 ₱164.6K

37.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$913 ₱57.3K

185.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $128 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $174 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, Getting Around. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $988 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: $738 in Phuket versus $128 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $129 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 58% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $658 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone versus $1,232 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 87% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.