Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zamboanga Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zamboanga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $754 in Zamboanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,077 in Zamboanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,400 in Zamboanga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than Zamboanga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Zamboanga 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.55 ₱95.7

198.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$9.46 ₱583

395.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$2.61 ₱161

238.70%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.72 ₱106

74.42%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.97 ₱59.8

-23.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.44 ₱27.27

-15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.27 ₱78.5

92.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.72 ₱106

109.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.02 ₱125

11.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.58 ₱97.6

16.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.28 ₱79.2

75.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.65 ₱102

40.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$11.16 ₱688

76.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.59 ₱283

-20.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$3.64 ₱225

259.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.43 ₱211

-1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.37 ₱84.5

19.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$4.15 ₱256

-41.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.74 ₱169

-25.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.40 ₱86.4

11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.88 ₱177

-47.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.98 ₱60.2

4.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.52 ₱32.35

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.05 ₱188

45.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.24 ₱262

345.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.43 ₱88.1

24.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.30 ₱142

19.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.24 ₱14.87

483.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.86 ₱53.0

262.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.24 ₱14.82

316.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.17 ₱134

549.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.27 ₱78.4

6.30%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$27.1K ₱1.7M

0.37%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.5K ₱1.3M

60.54%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$163 ₱10.1K

-23.51%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$47.67 ₱2,941

-71.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$54.0 ₱3,332

-65.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$39.85 ₱2,458

54.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$4.42 ₱273

281.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.26 ₱448

26.58%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$52.4 ₱3,229

1233.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,246 ₱76.9K

1151.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$25.05 ₱1,545

130.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$26.80 ₱1,653

31.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$89.2 ₱5,504

26.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$61.0 ₱3,759

41.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$141 ₱8,721

335.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$69.5 ₱4,287

541.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$366 ₱22.5K

460.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$140 ₱8,605

969.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,691 ₱166.0K

40.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$196 ₱12.1K

166.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-55.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Zamboanga: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $141 in Zamboanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 167% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Zamboanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $211 per month, with Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zamboanga is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 167% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $141 in Zamboanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $52.4 in Zamboanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zamboanga – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $754 in Zamboanga versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zamboanga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zamboanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga 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 Zamboanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.