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 $736 in Vigan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,092 in Vigan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,448 in Vigan.

Living in Phuket is roughly 67% more expensive than in Vigan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Vigan 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.88 ₱244

13.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$16.63 ₱1,045

93.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$1.79 ₱112

398.88%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$1.76 ₱111

64.77%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.60 ₱37.45

46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.33 ₱20.97

45.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.04 ₱65.1

125.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.58 ₱99.2

135.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.59 ₱100

17.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.15 ₱72.2

27.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.03 ₱64.4

50.49%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.08 ₱131

0.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$5.15 ₱324

280.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.47 ₱218

-1.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$7.81 ₱491

45.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.29 ₱144

30.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.60 ₱100

5.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.32 ₱146

-4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.02 ₱64.1

111.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.72 ₱108

-11.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.77 ₱111

-24.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.67 ₱41.92

68.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.49 ₱31.00

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.92 ₱183

45.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.68 ₱545

119.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.91 ₱57.0

95.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.05 ₱129

35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.26 ₱16.37

757.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$12.05 ₱757

88.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.78 ₱48.80

288.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.23 ₱14.35

343.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.89 ₱119

105.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.20 ₱75.5

24.17%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$21.5K ₱1.3M

23.88%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$19.5K ₱1.2M

38.30%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$140 ₱8,825

-27.05%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$17.18 ₱1,080

-34.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$23.34 ₱1,467

-25.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$30.92 ₱1,943

68.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$5.22 ₱328

112.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.31 ₱334

44.82%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$131 ₱8,221

328.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$10.7K ₱674.6K

7.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$28.45 ₱1,787

121.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$19.51 ₱1,226

51.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$72.1 ₱4,527

36.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$54.7 ₱3,434

61.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$298 ₱18.7K

147.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$167 ₱10.5K

188.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$462 ₱29.0K

356.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$395 ₱24.8K

210.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$2,579 ₱162.0K

40.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,164 ₱73.1K

123.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Vigan: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $298 in Vigan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Vigan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $175 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 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,104 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: $738 in Phuket versus $298 in Vigan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $131 in Vigan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $736 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 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.