Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sorsogon City and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Sorsogon City: $835 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Sorsogon City, Philippines
Phuket, Thailand
Sorsogon City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$835
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sorsogon City 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 Sorsogon City and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $835 in Sorsogon City versus $1,294 in Phuket.

  • Sorsogon City $835
  • Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,257 in Sorsogon City versus $2,204 in Phuket.

  • Sorsogon City $1,257
  • Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,678 in Sorsogon City versus $3,115 in Phuket.

  • Sorsogon City $1,678
  • Phuket $3,115

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Sorsogon City 38% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sorsogon City
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.08 ₱258
$4.39 ฿147
-7.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.22 ₱1,091
$32.31 ฿1,085
-46.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.89 ₱183
$8.70 ฿292
-66.78%
Cappuccino
$2.41 ₱153
$2.72 ฿91.5
-11.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72 ₱45.33
$0.93 ฿31.25
-22.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ₱21.46
$0.50 ฿16.78
-32.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.10 ₱69.9
$2.53 ฿85.0
-56.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 ₱152
$3.63 ฿122
-34.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sorsogon City
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 ₱107
$1.74 ฿58.4
-2.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.03 ₱65.1
$1.45 ฿48.73
-28.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.95 ₱60.3
$1.50 ฿50.5
-36.67%
Eggs
$1.94 ₱123
$2.17 ฿73.0
-10.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.23 ₱268
$19.09 ฿641
-77.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.02 ₱255
$3.40 ฿114
18.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.13 ₱452
$10.90 ฿366
-34.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.71 ₱172
$2.94 ฿98.8
-7.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 ₱118
$1.69 ฿56.8
10.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.51 ₱159
$2.19 ฿73.7
14.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.02 ₱64.4
$2.12 ฿71.4
-51.89%
Potato (1kg)
$1.69 ₱107
$1.46 ฿48.99
15.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ₱86.3
$1.37 ฿45.95
-0.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.87 ₱55.2
$1.08 ฿36.14
-19.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ₱32.07
$0.55 ฿18.32
-7.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.40 ₱152
$4.43 ฿149
-45.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.71 ₱425
$18.25 ฿613
-63.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 ₱68.3
$1.77 ฿59.5
-38.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 ₱120
$2.88 ฿96.8
-34.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Sorsogon City
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.84
$1.45 ฿48.62
-82.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$13.73 ₱870
$54.9 ฿1,844
-74.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.88 ₱55.9
$1.51 ฿50.8
-41.72%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.22 ₱13.77
$0.78 ฿26.06
-71.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.07 ₱131
$3.84 ฿129
-46.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 ₱77.8
$1.49 ฿49.96
-17.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K ₱1.3M
$26.9K ฿902.9K
-23.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.3K ₱1.3M
$26.3K ฿884.9K
-19.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sorsogon City
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$126 ₱7,980
$97.8 ฿3,285
28.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.79 ₱1,001
$11.29 ฿379
39.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.62 ₱1,686
$17.19 ฿577
54.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sorsogon City
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.42 ₱1,928
$68.3 ฿2,295
-55.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.92 ฿367
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.39 ₱278
$7.43 ฿250
-40.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sorsogon City
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$244 ₱15.5K
$530 ฿17.8K
-53.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,086 ₱575.7K
$18.8K ฿630.9K
-51.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sorsogon City
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.80 ₱3,028
$61.7 ฿2,072
-22.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.93 ₱1,516
$28.25 ฿949
-15.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.0 ₱4,813
$96.0 ฿3,225
-20.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$51.2 ₱3,241
$86.8 ฿2,916
-41.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sorsogon City
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$375 ₱23.7K
$721 ฿24.2K
-48.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$264 ₱16.7K
$509 ฿17.1K
-48.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$885 ₱56.1K
$1,950 ฿65.5K
-54.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$521 ₱33.0K
$1,397 ฿46.9K
-62.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,757 ₱238.0K
$4,192 ฿140.8K
-10.38%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,142 ₱135.7K
$3,298 ฿110.8K
-35.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sorsogon City
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$492 ฿16.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7
5.57
25.67%

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

Last update for Sorsogon City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sorsogon City
$264
Phuket
$509 92.8% $245
Groceries & Markets
Sorsogon City
$173
Phuket
$267 54.4% $94
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sorsogon City
$168
Phuket
$126 25% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Sorsogon City
$89
Phuket
$123 37.2% $33
Eating Out
Sorsogon City
$85
Phuket
$120 41.1% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Sorsogon City
$39
Phuket
$83 112% $44
Getting Around
Sorsogon City
$17
Phuket
$66 296% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $375 in Sorsogon City and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $17 in Sorsogon City vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $267 per month, with Sorsogon City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Sorsogon City
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
09:11 9:11 AM
08:11 8:11 AM
1 h behind Sorsogon City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
168,110
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 63.36 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.33 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sorsogon City Phuket 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sorsogon City
  • 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
Sorsogon City vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sorsogon City cheaper than Phuket?
Sorsogon City is about 35% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,253 in Sorsogon City and $1,940 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.
What is the rent difference between Sorsogon City and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $375 in Sorsogon City versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $244 in Sorsogon City versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Sorsogon City and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Sorsogon City or in Phuket?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Sorsogon City is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Sorsogon City or in Phuket?
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.
Which city is safer, Sorsogon City or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Sorsogon City and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Sorsogon City 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.

Sorsogon City vs other spots: cost of living compared

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