Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Galera and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Galera and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $881 in Puerto Galera versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,347 in Puerto Galera versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,813 in Puerto Galera versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Puerto Galera costs roughly 30% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Galera 34% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.91 ₱303

$4.70 ฿153

4.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.69 ₱1,337

$45.37 ฿1,482

-52.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.16 ₱195

$8.43 ฿275

-62.51%

Cappuccino

$2.85 ₱176

$2.93 ฿95.6

-2.73%

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

$0.92 ₱56.8

$0.69 ฿22.40

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱23.26

$0.37 ฿11.99

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱75.3

$2.41 ฿78.6

-49.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₱160

$3.72 ฿122

-30.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₱132

$2.23 ฿72.9

-4.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ₱74.7

$1.83 ฿59.8

-33.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱65.3

$2.17 ฿70.8

-51.15%

Eggs

$1.96 ₱121

$2.21 ฿72.3

-11.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.04 ₱434

$19.74 ฿645

-64.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 ₱257

$3.63 ฿119

14.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.22 ₱445

$13.53 ฿442

-46.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 ₱275

$3.28 ฿107

36.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₱94.0

$1.61 ฿52.6

-5.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 ₱177

$2.41 ฿78.6

18.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ₱100

$2.08 ฿68.1

-21.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 ₱173

$1.53 ฿49.93

83.01%

Onion (1kg)

$4.13 ₱255

$1.48 ฿48.36

179.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 ₱97.6

$0.99 ฿32.29

59.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₱61.9

$0.51 ฿16.67

96.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ₱201

$4.41 ฿144

-25.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 ₱462

$19.38 ฿633

-61.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₱98.7

$1.78 ฿58.1

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 ₱124

$2.71 ฿88.6

-25.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱17.44

$1.37 ฿44.79

-79.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱47.28

$3.02 ฿98.6

-74.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₱16.77

$0.99 ฿32.48

-72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₱134

$14.10 ฿461

-84.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₱70.6

$1.36 ฿44.51

-15.44%

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

$26.0K ₱1.6M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-7.77%

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

$20.0K ₱1.2M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-39.06%

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

$165 ₱10.1K

$122 ฿3,975

35.20%

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

$33.34 ₱2,056

$13.57 ฿443

145.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 ₱1,854

$18.31 ฿598

64.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.34 ₱2,056

$60.2 ฿1,967

-44.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.39 ₱271

$17.14 ฿560

-74.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 ₱442

$8.69 ฿284

-17.49%

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

$81.9 ₱5,048

$693 ฿22.6K

-88.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,775 ₱171.1K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-82.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.89 ₱1,966

$59.5 ฿1,944

-46.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.78 ₱1,836

$34.77 ฿1,136

-14.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 ₱5,942

$115 ฿3,743

-15.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 ₱5,883

$83.3 ฿2,720

14.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 ₱16.7K

$613 ฿20.0K

-55.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱10.7K

$437 ฿14.3K

-60.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 ₱36.2K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-71.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 ₱24.3K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-73.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,176 ₱134.2K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-41.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$896 ₱55.3K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-65.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.13

5.33

52.53%

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

Last update for Puerto Galera: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $271 in Puerto Galera and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Puerto Galera vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $293 per month, with Puerto Galera 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

Puerto Galera vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Galera is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,321 in Puerto Galera and $1,898 in Phuket 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: $271 in Puerto Galera versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $81.9 in Puerto Galera versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Galera – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $881 in Puerto Galera versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Galera but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Galera the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puerto Galera 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, Puerto Galera and Phuket 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 Puerto Galera gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.