Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Galera and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Galera: $827 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Galera
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Puerto Galera Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Puerto Galera

🇵🇭 Philippines

$827

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Galera and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Puerto Galera and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $827 in Puerto Galera versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Puerto Galera $827
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,247 in Puerto Galera versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Puerto Galera $1,247
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,668 in Puerto Galera versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Puerto Galera $1,668
Phuket $3,154

Living in Puerto Galera costs roughly 35% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Galera 39% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ₱281

$4.47 ฿151

-1.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.41 ₱1,176

$32.41 ฿1,094

-43.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.69 ₱172

$8.81 ฿297

-69.47%

Cappuccino

$2.69 ₱172

$2.83 ฿95.5

-4.95%

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

$0.69 ₱44.02

$0.87 ฿29.43

-20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₱17.93

$0.49 ฿16.67

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.44 ₱92.2

$2.56 ฿86.4

-43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₱178

$3.68 ฿124

-24.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 ₱105

$1.66 ฿56.0

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 ₱73.0

$1.46 ฿49.35

-21.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ₱56.7

$1.50 ฿50.6

-40.67%

Eggs

$1.70 ₱109

$2.09 ฿70.5

-18.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.84 ₱437

$19.07 ฿644

-64.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 ₱259

$3.30 ฿111

22.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.86 ₱439

$10.91 ฿368

-37.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 ₱251

$2.93 ฿99.0

33.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱89.0

$1.69 ฿57.1

-17.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 ₱226

$2.25 ฿75.8

57.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ₱73.5

$2.08 ฿70.1

-44.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱147

$1.51 ฿51.0

52.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.24 ₱207

$1.38 ฿46.56

134.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ₱88.9

$1.07 ฿35.99

29.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₱61.0

$0.52 ฿17.52

82.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.80 ₱179

$4.20 ฿142

-33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 ₱474

$18.79 ฿634

-60.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₱84.9

$1.82 ฿61.5

-26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱110

$2.84 ฿95.9

-39.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.43

$1.45 ฿49.03

-84.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.69 ₱875

$56.7 ฿1,913

-75.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱52.2

$3.02 ฿102

-72.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.38

$1.02 ฿34.36

-79.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 ₱156

$3.69 ฿125

-33.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₱76.8

$1.47 ฿49.81

-18.37%

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

$20.7K ₱1.3M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-22.60%

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

$18.6K ₱1.2M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-30.26%

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

$164 ₱10.5K

$96.4 ฿3,254

70.62%

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

$14.04 ₱897

$11.26 ฿380

24.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.63 ₱1,510

$16.85 ฿569

40.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.96 ₱2,298

$67.2 ฿2,270

-46.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.19 ₱332

$10.73 ฿362

-51.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 ₱458

$7.50 ฿253

-4.40%

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

$71.8 ₱4,584

$476 ฿16.1K

-84.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,498 ₱159.6K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-77.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.70 ₱2,217

$62.4 ฿2,106

-44.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.04 ₱1,408

$28.41 ฿959

-22.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 ₱4,971

$94.3 ฿3,184

-17.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.6 ₱4,701

$85.8 ฿2,898

-14.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 ₱16.3K

$716 ฿24.2K

-64.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ₱10.8K

$491 ฿16.6K

-65.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 ₱30.8K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-75.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 ₱22.6K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-75.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,553 ₱163.1K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-38.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,027 ₱65.6K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-66.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

25.67%

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

Last update for Puerto Galera: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Galera

$203 24.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 31.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Galera

$202 24.4%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 38.4% $78

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Galera

$170 20.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 189% $321

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Galera

$94 11.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 30.1% $28

Eating Out

Puerto Galera

$92 11.2%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 32% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Galera

$50 6.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 63.5% $32

Getting Around

Puerto Galera

$16 2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 329% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $255 in Puerto Galera and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18 in Puerto Galera vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $203 vs $266 per month, with Puerto Galera cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Puerto Galera

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

04:20 4:20 AM

1 h behind Puerto Galera

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,606

79,308

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Puerto Galera Phuket 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Galera
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 35% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,241 in Puerto Galera and $1,917 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: $255 in Puerto Galera versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $72 in Puerto Galera versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $827 in Puerto Galera versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Puerto Galera and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Puerto Galera gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.