Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vigan Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vigan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $697 in Vigan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,100 in Vigan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,504 in Vigan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 81% more expensive than in Vigan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Vigan 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.60 ₱220

24.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$13.12 ₱803

247.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$1.82 ₱111

381.32%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.81 ₱111

64.09%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.69 ₱42.29

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.38 ₱23.25

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.20 ₱73.6

110.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.74 ₱106

115.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.84 ₱113

16.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.19 ₱73.1

52.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.76 ₱46.47

186.84%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.19 ₱134

2.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.99 ₱551

122.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.87 ₱237

-6.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.27 ₱445

86.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.63 ₱161

23.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.61 ₱98.6

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.30 ₱141

1.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.16 ₱70.7

78.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.64 ₱101

-5.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.15 ₱131

-32.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.72 ₱43.78

36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.76 ₱46.75

-36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.27 ₱139

91.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.83 ₱541

110.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.08 ₱66.2

72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.73 ₱106

53.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.28 ₱17.32

407.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.68 ₱41.88

366.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.17 ₱10.33

505.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.45 ₱150

466.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.11 ₱68.1

20.72%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$14.0K ₱858.2K

98.23%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$16.2K ₱990.4K

106.32%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$53.6 ₱3,280

129.66%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$34.00 ₱2,081

-59.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$26.25 ₱1,607

-30.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$34.16 ₱2,091

77.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.51 ₱276

280.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.87 ₱359

51.11%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$36.00 ₱2,203

1810.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$4,816 ₱294.8K

227.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$47.88 ₱2,931

23.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$27.04 ₱1,655

28.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$61.4 ₱3,758

87.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$46.45 ₱2,843

80.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$262 ₱16.0K

137.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$175 ₱10.7K

154.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$594 ₱36.3K

242.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$398 ₱24.4K

275.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,167 ₱132.7K

59.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$904 ₱55.4K

179.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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 27, 2026

Last update for Vigan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $262 in Vigan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Vigan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $196 per month, with Vigan 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 Vigan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vigan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,045 in Vigan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $262 in Vigan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $36.00 in Vigan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Vigan – 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 $697 in Vigan versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vigan but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vigan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vigan 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 Vigan 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 Vigan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.