Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surigao Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surigao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $786 in Surigao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,201 in Surigao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,617 in Surigao.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Surigao 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.53 ₱218

33.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$17.55 ₱1,082

158.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$3.28 ₱202

157.01%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.37 ₱146

23.63%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.79 ₱48.55

-12.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.37 ₱22.68

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.35 ₱83.4

78.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.08 ₱128

78.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.91 ₱118

16.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.22 ₱75.1

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.98 ₱60.5

121.43%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.10 ₱129

5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.90 ₱487

149.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.22 ₱260

-13.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.64 ₱471

77.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.96 ₱183

10.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.53 ₱94.5

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.67 ₱165

-9.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.56 ₱96.5

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.22 ₱137

-31.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.59 ₱160

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.10 ₱68.0

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.76 ₱46.84

-32.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.81 ₱173

56.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.94 ₱428

179.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.20 ₱74.2

48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.97 ₱122

37.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.28 ₱17.38

389.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.83 ₱51.1

263.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.24 ₱14.88

312.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.07 ₱128

581.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.11 ₱68.2

22.52%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$26.5K ₱1.6M

6.49%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.3K ₱1.3M

62.16%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$113 ₱6,957

7.87%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$24.51 ₱1,511

-44.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$39.06 ₱2,408

-53.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$34.10 ₱2,103

76.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.42 ₱272

287.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.93 ₱366

46.54%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$150 ₱9,239

362.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,399 ₱271.2K

256.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$45.90 ₱2,830

29.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$26.45 ₱1,631

31.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$73.8 ₱4,553

55.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$52.2 ₱3,218

59.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$269 ₱16.6K

127.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$176 ₱10.9K

147.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$599 ₱36.9K

249.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$400 ₱24.7K

277.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,636 ₱162.6K

42.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,050 ₱64.8K

149.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Surigao: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $269 in Surigao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Surigao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $203 per month, with Surigao 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 Surigao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surigao 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 $1,898 in Phuket and $1,179 in Surigao 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: $613 in Phuket versus $269 in Surigao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $150 in Surigao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surigao – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $786 in Surigao versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Surigao but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Surigao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surigao 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 Surigao 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 Surigao 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.