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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $624 in Tuguegarao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,017 in Tuguegarao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,411 in Tuguegarao.

Living in Phuket is roughly 100% more expensive than in Tuguegarao, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$1.82 ₱112

150.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$13.26 ₱818

248.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$2.59 ₱160

241.31%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.31 ₱142

32.47%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.52 ₱32.01

40.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.33 ₱20.59

21.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.43 ₱88.2

69.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.93 ₱119

95.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.83 ₱113

23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.25 ₱77.1

44.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.78 ₱47.89

188.46%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.20 ₱136

2.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.39 ₱394

205.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.84 ₱237

-4.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.45 ₱521

54.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.65 ₱163

21.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.83 ₱113

-11.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.29 ₱141

3.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.20 ₱74.1

69.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.83 ₱113

-16.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.28 ₱140

-34.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.67 ₱41.07

46.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.71 ₱43.82

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.09 ₱129

112.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.76 ₱540

109.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.06 ₱65.5

75.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.36 ₱146

13.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.26 ₱15.91

442.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.92 ₱56.6

238.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.22 ₱13.48

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.42 ₱149

483.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.10 ₱68.0

19.09%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$32.3K ₱2.0M

-13.99%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$20.5K ₱1.3M

62.01%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$34.77 ₱2,144

252.14%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$17.94 ₱1,106

-24.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$26.25 ₱1,619

-28.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$33.76 ₱2,082

79.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$4.49 ₱277

278.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.68 ₱350

59.68%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$151 ₱9,304

368.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,781 ₱294.8K

230.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$48.24 ₱2,975

21.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$27.50 ₱1,696

28.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$44.13 ₱2,722

161.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$27.10 ₱1,671

208.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$270 ₱16.6K

131.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$176 ₱10.8K

153.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$593 ₱36.6K

243.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$401 ₱24.7K

272.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$211 ₱13.0K

136.79%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tuguegarao: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $270 in Tuguegarao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 137% 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 $13.00 in Tuguegarao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $195 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 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 137% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $270 in Tuguegarao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $151 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $624 in Tuguegarao versus $1,250 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 100% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.