Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tagum City

For one person, living is cheaper in Tagum City: $429 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Tagum City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tagum City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Tagum City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $429 in Tagum City.

Phuket $1,278
Tagum City $429

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $532 in Tagum City.

Phuket $2,216
Tagum City $532

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $635 in Tagum City.

Phuket $3,154
Tagum City $635

Living in Phuket is roughly 198% more expensive than in Tagum City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tagum City 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$5.56 ₱353

-19.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$12.74 ₱809

154.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.00 ₱318

76.20%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.21 ₱140

28.05%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.90 ₱121

34.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.37 ₱87.3

168.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.65 ₱105

0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.85 ₱117

12.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.63 ₱484

42.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$6.22 ₱395

-52.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.36 ₱86.6

33.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.22 ₱13.91

559.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.31 ₱83.1

12.21%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$54.2 ₱3,440

77.87%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$7.88 ₱500

42.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$27.21 ₱1,728

-38.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$23.49 ₱1,491

186.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.25 ₱207

130.77%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$158 ₱10.0K

352.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$126 ₱7,971

291.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$317 ₱20.1K

508.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$203 ₱12.9K

147.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tagum City: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Tagum City

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Tagum City

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Tagum City

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tagum City

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tagum City

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Tagum City

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Tagum City

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $158 in Tagum City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.5 times 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: $32 in Phuket vs $13 in Tagum City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $85 per month, with Tagum City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇭 Tagum City

🕒 Local time

20:51 8:51 PM

21:51 9:51 PM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

296,202

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.51 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 70.87 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Tagum City 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tagum City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 66% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.5 times higher, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $158 in Tagum City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 214% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tagum City – a meal for two runs $13 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $429 in Tagum City versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tagum City are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Tagum City wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.