Cost of Living Comparison Between Samut Prakan and Pagadian Cost of Living Comparison Between Samut Prakan and Pagadian

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $890 in Samut Prakan versus $730 in Pagadian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,509 in Samut Prakan versus $1,099 in Pagadian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,128 in Samut Prakan versus $1,468 in Pagadian.

Living in Samut Prakan is roughly 22% more expensive than in Pagadian, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Samut Prakan 35% lower, Pagadian 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.14 ฿103

$3.82 ₱239

-17.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.51 ฿510

$17.08 ₱1,068

-9.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 ฿255

$2.85 ₱178

172.28%

Cappuccino

$1.49 ฿48.88

$1.95 ₱122

-23.59%

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

$0.50 ฿16.59

$0.82 ₱51.3

-39.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ฿8.16

$0.23 ₱14.27

8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ฿66.6

$1.46 ₱91.1

39.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿92.8

$1.92 ₱120

46.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ฿47.87

$1.71 ₱107

-14.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ฿33.89

$1.21 ₱75.4

-14.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ฿35.95

$0.90 ₱56.0

21.11%

Eggs

$1.79 ฿58.9

$1.85 ₱116

-3.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.80 ฿421

$4.73 ₱296

170.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.54 ฿83.7

$4.16 ₱260

-38.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.50 ฿345

$6.85 ₱428

53.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$2.49 ₱156

-26.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 ฿34.02

$1.45 ₱90.8

-28.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ฿57.4

$2.42 ₱151

-27.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.41

$1.13 ₱70.4

19.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.28 ₱143

-24.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 ฿34.47

$2.23 ₱140

-52.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ฿24.63

$0.80 ₱49.75

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ฿14.10

$0.56 ₱34.76

-23.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 ฿147

$2.94 ₱184

52.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 ฿398

$7.96 ₱498

52.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 ฿50.3

$0.96 ₱60.3

59.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ฿73.6

$2.01 ₱126

11.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 ฿16.80

$0.25 ₱15.56

104.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.18 ฿992

$11.31 ₱707

166.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 ฿35.96

$0.69 ₱42.95

57.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 ฿39.32

$0.23 ₱14.40

421.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 ฿132

$1.93 ₱120

107.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ฿36.56

$1.05 ₱65.4

5.71%

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

$12.3K ฿403.3K

$24.6K ₱1.5M

-50.17%

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

$24.6K ฿808.1K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

19.22%

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

$83.3 ฿2,739

$124 ₱7,751

-32.78%

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

$9.44 ฿310

$16.40 ₱1,026

-42.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.03 ฿560

$26.48 ₱1,656

-35.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.30 ฿1,522

$31.92 ₱1,996

45.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.46 ฿475

$4.80 ₱300

201.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ฿198

$5.40 ₱338

11.67%

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

$155 ฿5,082

$153 ₱9,562

1.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,927 ฿227.8K

$7,142 ₱446.7K

-3.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.18 ฿762

$33.99 ₱2,126

-31.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.18 ฿1,124

$21.15 ₱1,323

61.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.1 ฿2,436

$67.9 ₱4,249

9.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 ฿3,223

$60.2 ₱3,762

62.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$486 ฿16.0K

$271 ₱16.9K

79.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 ฿9,520

$151 ₱9,456

91.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 ฿40.6K

$503 ₱31.5K

145.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$827 ฿27.2K

$350 ₱21.9K

136.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,962 ฿64.5K

$2,279 ₱142.5K

-13.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,640 ฿53.9K

$1,165 ₱72.9K

40.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 ฿21.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

-55.56%

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

Last update for Samut Prakan: September 1, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $486 in Samut Prakan and $271 in Pagadian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Samut Prakan vs $17.00 in Pagadian. Groceries flip the comparison at $200 vs $178, with Pagadian cheaper for home cooking.

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

Samut Prakan vs Pagadian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samut Prakan and Pagadian differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($890 vs $730 including rent). Pagadian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,335 in Samut Prakan and $1,095 in Pagadian 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: $486 in Samut Prakan versus $271 in Pagadian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pagadian – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $16.00 in Samut Prakan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $890 per month in Samut Prakan versus $730 in Pagadian – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Pagadian gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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, Samut Prakan and Pagadian 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 Pagadian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Samut Prakan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.