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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $699 in Vigan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,108 in Vigan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,517 in Vigan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 76% more expensive than Vigan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Vigan 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.62 ₱223

27.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$13.46 ₱830

247.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$1.74 ₱107

408.05%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.74 ₱107

72.41%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.70 ₱43.02

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.37 ₱22.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.21 ₱74.8

101.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.74 ₱108

107.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.83 ₱113

23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.24 ₱76.4

48.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.72 ₱44.45

211.11%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.24 ₱138

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.06 ₱559

117.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.72 ₱229

-1.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.62 ₱470

71.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.77 ₱171

22.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.63 ₱101

0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.38 ₱147

1.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.22 ₱75.0

66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.63 ₱100

-4.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.16 ₱133

-30.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.68 ₱41.75

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.72 ₱44.55

-31.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.23 ₱138

99.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.23 ₱570

104.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.04 ₱63.9

71.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.80 ₱111

52.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.28 ₱17.47

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.69 ₱42.55

352.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.15 ₱8.99

566.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.45 ₱151

475.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.10 ₱67.8

22.73%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$14.4K ₱891.1K

88.17%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$15.6K ₱964.5K

110.54%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$52.7 ₱3,249

137.29%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$34.59 ₱2,133

-60.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$26.31 ₱1,623

-29.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$34.26 ₱2,113

79.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$4.48 ₱276

275.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.85 ₱361

57.09%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$35.66 ₱2,199

1858.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,790 ₱295.5K

225.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$49.07 ₱3,027

17.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$27.97 ₱1,725

25.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$61.7 ₱3,803

83.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$45.64 ₱2,815

89.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$268 ₱16.5K

129.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$177 ₱10.9K

151.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$594 ₱36.6K

244.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$396 ₱24.4K

277.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,388 ₱147.3K

58.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Vigan: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 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 $292 vs $198 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 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,048 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: $616 in Phuket versus $268 in Vigan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $35.66 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 $699 in Vigan versus $1,232 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 76% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.