Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tuguegarao

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuguegarao: $570 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Tuguegarao
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Tuguegarao Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Tuguegarao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$570

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tuguegarao

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 Tuguegarao actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $570 in Tuguegarao.

Phuket $1,278
Tuguegarao $570

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $909 in Tuguegarao.

Phuket $2,216
Tuguegarao $909

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,249 in Tuguegarao.

Phuket $3,154
Tuguegarao $1,249

Living in Phuket is roughly 124% more expensive than in Tuguegarao, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tuguegarao 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.58 ₱101

182.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$16.12 ₱1,030

101.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$2.68 ₱171

228.73%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$1.74 ₱111

62.64%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.42 ₱26.97

107.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.28 ₱17.65

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.02 ₱65.1

150.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.53 ₱97.5

140.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.64 ₱105

1.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.15 ₱73.4

26.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.68 ₱43.28

120.59%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.98 ₱126

5.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$4.92 ₱314

287.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.26 ₱209

1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.94 ₱508

37.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.20 ₱141

33.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.51 ₱96.4

11.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.25 ₱144

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.02 ₱65.0

103.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.72 ₱110

-12.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.74 ₱111

-20.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.61 ₱39.24

75.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.49 ₱31.17

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.84 ₱117

128.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.44 ₱539

122.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.96 ₱61.5

89.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.01 ₱129

41.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.24 ₱15.16

504.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$13.38 ₱855

323.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.75 ₱47.83

302.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.24 ₱15.40

325.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.84 ₱117

100.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.08 ₱68.8

36.11%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$21.3K ₱1.4M

25.52%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$18.8K ₱1.2M

42.35%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$31.51 ₱2,013

205.78%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$16.94 ₱1,082

-33.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$22.96 ₱1,467

-26.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$31.59 ₱2,018

112.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$5.24 ₱335

104.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.95 ₱316

51.52%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$132 ₱8,409

261.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$10.7K ₱682.3K

5.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$28.57 ₱1,826

118.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$19.15 ₱1,223

48.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$39.08 ₱2,497

141.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$23.29 ₱1,488

268.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$246 ₱15.7K

191.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$169 ₱10.8K

190.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$482 ₱30.8K

299.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$349 ₱22.3K

310.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$2,480 ₱158.5K

68.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,104 ₱70.5K

175.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$201 ₱12.9K

149.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.75

-17.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tuguegarao: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Tuguegarao

$169 29.6% 65.6% $322

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Tuguegarao

$170 29.8% 36.1% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Tuguegarao

$71 12.5% 42.6% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tuguegarao

$50 8.7% 59.4% $72

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Tuguegarao

$52 9.2% 56.9% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Tuguegarao

$41 7.3% 49.5% $41

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Tuguegarao

$16 2.9% 76.9% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $246 in Tuguegarao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $16 in Tuguegarao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $170 per month, with Tuguegarao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇭 Tuguegarao

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

07:47 7:47 AM

1 h ahead of Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

166,334

💱 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Tuguegarao 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tuguegarao

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 Tuguegarao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tuguegarao is about 55% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. 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 $246 in Tuguegarao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $132 in Tuguegarao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $570 in Tuguegarao versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

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 Tuguegarao are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Tuguegarao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.