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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $765 in Zamboanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,098 in Zamboanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,431 in Zamboanga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than Zamboanga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Zamboanga 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$1.50 ₱90.3

200.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$9.58 ₱577

386.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$2.68 ₱162

216.79%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.74 ₱105

77.01%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.91 ₱54.9

-25.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.42 ₱25.08

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.27 ₱76.4

91.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$1.69 ₱102

114.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$2.03 ₱122

7.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.65 ₱99.4

9.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.25 ₱75.2

78.40%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.69 ₱102

32.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$11.33 ₱682

72.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$4.59 ₱277

-18.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$3.56 ₱214

278.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$3.37 ₱203

-0.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.36 ₱82.0

19.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$4.35 ₱262

-44.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$2.59 ₱156

-23.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.39 ₱83.6

10.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$2.87 ₱173

-49.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.96 ₱58.1

5.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.57 ₱34.32

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.01 ₱181

41.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$4.40 ₱265

334.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.41 ₱85.0

30.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.26 ₱136

21.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.22 ₱13.17

545.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$0.92 ₱55.6

226.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.22 ₱13.22

377.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$2.14 ₱129

549.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.25 ₱75.4

3.20%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$26.5K ₱1.6M

5.59%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$20.5K ₱1.2M

63.29%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$163 ₱9,845

-25.38%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$47.84 ₱2,882

-70.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$52.7 ₱3,176

-64.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$39.91 ₱2,404

53.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$4.56 ₱274

269.30%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$7.24 ₱436

22.79%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$52.6 ₱3,168

1214.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$1,251 ₱75.3K

1191.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$24.66 ₱1,485

134.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$26.09 ₱1,571

35.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$89.9 ₱5,416

26.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$63.0 ₱3,792

31.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$140 ₱8,460

331.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$71.5 ₱4,307

526.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$369 ₱22.2K

450.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$142 ₱8,557

951.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$2,574 ₱155.0K

39.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$896 ₱54.0K

188.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$200 ₱12.0K

152.52%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Zamboanga: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $140 in Zamboanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 153% 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 $10.00 in Zamboanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $212 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 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 153% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $140 in Zamboanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $52.6 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 $10.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $765 in Zamboanga versus $1,223 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 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.