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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $725 in Surigao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,116 in Surigao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,507 in Surigao.

Living in Phuket is roughly 70% more expensive than in Surigao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Surigao 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.65 ₱229

20.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$18.21 ₱1,141

77.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$2.83 ₱177

215.55%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$1.94 ₱122

49.48%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.62 ₱38.64

41.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.36 ₱22.81

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$1.17 ₱73.3

100.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.70 ₱107

118.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.69 ₱106

10.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.16 ₱72.4

26.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.96 ₱59.9

61.46%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.88 ₱118

11.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$5.17 ₱324

278.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.23 ₱265

-19.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$7.16 ₱449

58.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.39 ₱150

24.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.61 ₱101

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.03 ₱127

8.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.29 ₱81.1

67.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$2.15 ₱135

-29.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$2.16 ₱135

-37.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.75 ₱47.10

50.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.49 ₱30.69

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.89 ₱181

47.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.96 ₱561

113.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.81 ₱50.9

119.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$1.69 ₱106

64.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.25 ₱15.51

792.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$9.46 ₱593

140.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.73 ₱46.02

315.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.26 ₱16.39

292.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$1.94 ₱121

100.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.19 ₱74.8

25.21%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$20.5K ₱1.3M

29.97%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$18.6K ₱1.2M

45.36%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$120 ₱7,514

-14.54%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$13.92 ₱872

-18.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$34.49 ₱2,162

-49.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$34.00 ₱2,130

53.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$5.24 ₱329

111.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.38 ₱337

42.94%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$115 ₱7,234

385.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$9,128 ₱572.0K

26.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$33.87 ₱2,122

86.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$21.55 ₱1,350

36.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$77.7 ₱4,872

26.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$54.5 ₱3,418

62.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$270 ₱16.9K

173.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$171 ₱10.7K

182.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$518 ₱32.5K

306.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$316 ₱19.8K

287.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,613 ₱163.8K

38.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,179 ₱73.9K

120.83%

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 Surigao: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $270 in Surigao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Surigao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $179 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 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,087 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: $738 in Phuket versus $270 in Surigao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $115 in Surigao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $725 in Surigao versus $1,232 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 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.