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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $760 in Tagum City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,175 in Tagum City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,590 in Tagum City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 66% more expensive than in Tagum City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Tagum City 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.57 ₱219

25.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$14.28 ₱874

219.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.90 ₱239

124.62%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.66 ₱101

78.92%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.84 ₱51.2

-17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.39 ₱23.91

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.30 ₱79.4

94.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.36 ₱83.3

175.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.82 ₱111

18.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.21 ₱74.2

50.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.93 ₱56.8

134.41%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.10 ₱129

7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.83 ₱479

155.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.30 ₱263

-15.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.60 ₱465

78.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.99 ₱183

8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.59 ₱97.2

3.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.61 ₱160

-10.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.53 ₱93.9

35.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.20 ₱135

-29.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.51 ₱154

-41.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.08 ₱65.9

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.72 ₱44.38

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.88 ₱176

51.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.17 ₱71.5

58.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.02 ₱124

31.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.26 ₱15.80

446.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.79 ₱48.12

301.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.24 ₱14.78

329.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.14 ₱131

549.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.09 ₱66.8

22.94%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$27.1K ₱1.7M

2.51%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.3K ₱1.2M

64.41%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$114 ₱6,962

8.19%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$33.16 ₱2,030

-58.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$27.53 ₱1,685

-33.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$33.30 ₱2,038

82.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.37 ₱268

292.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.87 ₱359

51.11%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$151 ₱9,238

355.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,351 ₱266.3K

262.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$44.91 ₱2,749

32.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$27.07 ₱1,657

28.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$75.2 ₱4,605

53.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$54.0 ₱3,305

55.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$264 ₱16.2K

135.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$174 ₱10.6K

156.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$592 ₱36.2K

243.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$387 ₱23.7K

286.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$211 ₱12.9K

133.57%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tagum City: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $264 in Tagum City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 134% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Tagum City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $187 per month, with Tagum 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 Tagum City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tagum City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 134% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $264 in Tagum City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $151 in Tagum City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tagum City – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $760 in Tagum City versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tagum City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tagum City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tagum 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 Tagum 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 Tagum City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.