Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tagbilaran City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tagbilaran City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $619 in Tagbilaran City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $999 in Tagbilaran City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,378 in Tagbilaran City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 102% more expensive than in Tagbilaran City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Tagbilaran City 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.01 ₱188

51.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$17.53 ₱1,098

86.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$2.80 ₱176

217.86%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.57 ₱161

8.95%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.92 ₱57.3

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.42 ₱26.33

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$0.82 ₱51.5

191.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.21 ₱138

67.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.56 ₱97.8

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.01 ₱63.3

42.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$0.89 ₱55.9

77.53%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.80 ₱113

18.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$9.88 ₱619

101.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.56 ₱286

-24.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$7.44 ₱466

52.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.82 ₱177

4.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.35 ₱84.8

27.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.31 ₱144

0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.56 ₱97.9

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$2.45 ₱153

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.90 ₱119

-28.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.65 ₱40.52

69.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.50 ₱31.02

14.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.39 ₱150

78.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$6.23 ₱390

195.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.93 ₱58.5

101.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.07 ₱66.9

172.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.50 ₱31.32

344.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.75 ₱47.23

304.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.21 ₱13.14

409.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$4.38 ₱274

-10.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.08 ₱67.6

37.96%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

24.16%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$19.7K ₱1.2M

39.53%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$79.3 ₱4,963

29.70%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$14.82 ₱928

-25.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$25.23 ₱1,580

-30.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$11.18 ₱700

378.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$3.29 ₱206

240.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$3.56 ₱223

110.11%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$277 ₱17.3K

101.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$8,083 ₱506.1K

46.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$38.16 ₱2,390

67.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$17.97 ₱1,126

61.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$65.8 ₱4,117

45.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$58.7 ₱3,679

53.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$196 ₱12.3K

273.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$141 ₱8,808

255.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$481 ₱30.1K

335.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$341 ₱21.3K

254.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$806 ₱50.5K

346.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$480 ₱30.1K

422.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$176 ₱11.0K

186.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.2

-22.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tagbilaran City: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $196 in Tagbilaran City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 186% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Tagbilaran City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $189 per month, with Tagbilaran 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 Tagbilaran City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tagbilaran City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 186% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $196 in Tagbilaran City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $277 in Tagbilaran City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tagbilaran City – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $619 in Tagbilaran City versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tagbilaran City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tagbilaran City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tagbilaran 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 Tagbilaran 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 Tagbilaran City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.