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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $677 in Vigan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,080 in Vigan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,482 in Vigan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 86% more expensive than Vigan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Vigan 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.47 ₱211

31.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$13.03 ₱791

257.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$1.82 ₱111

365.38%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.75 ₱106

73.14%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.65 ₱39.55

6.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.40 ₱24.50

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.23 ₱74.6

102.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.80 ₱109

103.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.90 ₱116

14.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.19 ₱72.3

59.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.73 ₱44.24

201.37%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.25 ₱137

-1.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.77 ₱533

127.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.71 ₱225

-1.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.57 ₱460

75.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.72 ₱165

18.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.65 ₱100.0

3.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.30 ₱140

3.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.21 ₱73.2

71.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.63 ₱99.0

-2.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.15 ₱130

-31.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.73 ₱44.08

41.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.76 ₱46.31

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.35 ₱143

80.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.74 ₱531

114.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.03 ₱62.6

70.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.72 ₱105

60.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.28 ₱17.19

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.74 ₱44.93

324.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.18 ₱10.96

477.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.41 ₱146

471.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.16 ₱70.3

15.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$14.0K ₱849.0K

97.96%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$16.0K ₱972.4K

111.45%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$52.3 ₱3,175

136.35%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$34.62 ₱2,102

-60.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$25.80 ₱1,567

-27.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$33.68 ₱2,045

83.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$4.41 ₱268

291.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.59 ₱340

63.51%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$35.46 ₱2,153

1881.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,684 ₱284.4K

238.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$49.46 ₱3,003

20.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$27.86 ₱1,692

25.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$62.9 ₱3,821

83.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$46.97 ₱2,852

78.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$268 ₱16.3K

130.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$175 ₱10.6K

146.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$597 ₱36.2K

245.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$392 ₱23.8K

285.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,484 ₱150.8K

46.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$960 ₱58.3K

173.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Vigan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $268 in Vigan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $13.00 in Vigan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,016 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: $619 in Phuket versus $268 in Vigan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $35.46 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 $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $677 in Vigan versus $1,261 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 86% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.