Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tuguegarao Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tuguegarao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $631 in Tuguegarao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,012 in Tuguegarao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,393 in Tuguegarao.

Living in Phuket is roughly 101% more expensive than Tuguegarao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tuguegarao 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$1.74 ₱107

170.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$13.16 ₱811

244.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$2.60 ₱160

224.23%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.34 ₱144

25.21%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.51 ₱31.65

35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.33 ₱20.47

12.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.38 ₱85.2

74.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.93 ₱119

92.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.82 ₱112

22.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.25 ₱77.1

46.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.81 ₱50.1

167.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.27 ₱140

-2.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.43 ₱397

207.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.77 ₱232

-3.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.62 ₱531

56.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.74 ₱169

19.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.79 ₱110

-10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.39 ₱147

0.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.17 ₱72.0

77.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.81 ₱112

-15.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.29 ₱141

-35.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.72 ₱44.68

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.71 ₱43.70

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.18 ₱134

102.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.81 ₱543

119.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.07 ₱66.2

66.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.25 ₱138

20.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.26 ₱15.93

426.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.93 ₱57.3

224.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.24 ₱14.89

312.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.35 ₱145

500.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.14 ₱70.6

19.30%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$31.8K ₱2.0M

-11.44%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.4K ₱1.3M

61.65%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$35.99 ₱2,219

238.15%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$17.56 ₱1,083

-22.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$26.12 ₱1,611

-29.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$33.28 ₱2,052

80.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.46 ₱275

284.30%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.89 ₱363

47.54%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$150 ₱9,263

361.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,809 ₱296.5K

226.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$49.65 ₱3,062

19.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$27.18 ₱1,676

27.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$45.03 ₱2,777

154.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$27.05 ₱1,668

207.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$261 ₱16.1K

134.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$179 ₱11.0K

144.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$578 ₱35.7K

262.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$399 ₱24.6K

278.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$212 ₱13.1K

140.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.5

18.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Tuguegarao: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $261 in Tuguegarao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 140% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Tuguegarao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $196 per month, with Tuguegarao 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 Tuguegarao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tuguegarao is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 140% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $261 in Tuguegarao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Tuguegarao – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $631 in Tuguegarao versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tuguegarao but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tuguegarao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tuguegarao 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 Tuguegarao 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 Tuguegarao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.