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 $731 in Zamboanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,099 in Zamboanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,467 in Zamboanga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 68% more expensive than in Zamboanga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Zamboanga 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.32 ₱82.7

234.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$16.92 ₱1,061

90.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$3.51 ₱220

154.42%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.08 ₱130

39.42%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.87 ₱54.2

1.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.42 ₱26.50

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$1.46 ₱91.6

60.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.99 ₱125

86.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.73 ₱108

8.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.43 ₱89.5

2.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.11 ₱69.7

39.64%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.52 ₱95.0

38.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$10.08 ₱632

94.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.06 ₱254

-15.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$3.16 ₱198

260.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$3.07 ₱192

-2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.17 ₱73.2

43.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$3.69 ₱231

-40.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.14 ₱71.3

89.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.18 ₱74.3

28.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$2.44 ₱153

-45.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.83 ₱52.0

36.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.50 ₱31.55

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.79 ₱175

52.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$4.11 ₱257

364.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.31 ₱82.1

35.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$1.96 ₱123

41.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.22 ₱13.80

913.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$11.85 ₱743

91.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.77 ₱48.02

293.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.21 ₱13.16

385.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$1.67 ₱105

132.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$0.97 ₱60.9

53.61%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

28.85%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$18.5K ₱1.2M

45.98%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$122 ₱7,667

-16.24%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$14.78 ₱926

-23.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$47.02 ₱2,947

-62.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$36.01 ₱2,257

44.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$4.65 ₱291

138.06%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.09 ₱319

51.08%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$131 ₱8,182

329.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$7,834 ₱490.9K

46.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$32.17 ₱2,016

95.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$18.84 ₱1,181

56.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$71.0 ₱4,448

38.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$54.5 ₱3,417

62.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$263 ₱16.5K

181.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$174 ₱10.9K

177.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$340 ₱21.3K

519.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$354 ₱22.2K

246.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,560 ₱160.4K

41.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$1,002 ₱62.8K

159.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$188 ₱11.8K

161.94%

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 Zamboanga: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $263 in Zamboanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 162% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Zamboanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $181 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 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 162% higher in Phuket, 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: $738 in Phuket versus $263 in Zamboanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $731 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 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.