Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surigao and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Surigao: $736 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Surigao
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Surigao Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Surigao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$736

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $736 in Surigao versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Surigao $736
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,124 in Surigao versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Surigao $1,124
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,512 in Surigao versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Surigao $1,512
Phuket $2,867

Living in Surigao costs roughly 39% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surigao 45% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 ₱251

$4.58 ฿153

-13.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.81 ₱1,122

$32.48 ฿1,086

-45.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.87 ₱181

$8.55 ฿286

-66.43%

Cappuccino

$1.99 ₱125

$2.72 ฿91.0

-26.84%

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

$0.73 ₱45.85

$0.94 ฿31.25

-22.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱19.84

$0.49 ฿16.39

-34.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 ₱79.4

$2.59 ฿86.6

-51.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₱134

$3.83 ฿128

-44.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ₱102

$1.74 ฿58.1

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 ₱61.6

$1.43 ฿47.82

-31.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱62.0

$1.53 ฿51.0

-35.29%

Eggs

$1.94 ₱122

$2.17 ฿72.7

-10.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.75 ₱362

$19.15 ฿640

-69.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 ₱261

$3.30 ฿110

25.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.88 ₱433

$11.14 ฿372

-38.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 ₱131

$2.95 ฿98.5

-29.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ₱99.2

$1.68 ฿56.1

-5.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 ₱161

$2.30 ฿76.8

11.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ₱73.6

$2.13 ฿71.3

-45.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.53 ฿51.1

27.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 ₱111

$1.36 ฿45.55

29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 ₱51.5

$1.12 ฿37.44

-26.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱37.75

$0.55 ฿18.24

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ₱187

$4.26 ฿142

-30.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 ₱427

$18.19 ฿608

-62.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₱66.3

$1.74 ฿58.2

-39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱108

$2.79 ฿93.3

-38.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱16.48

$2.22 ฿74.1

-88.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.30 ₱712

$22.06 ฿737

-48.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 ₱41.51

$2.91 ฿97.3

-77.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.66

$1.01 ฿33.79

-77.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₱118

$3.83 ฿128

-51.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱83.0

$1.49 ฿49.85

-11.41%

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

$18.7K ₱1.2M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-29.90%

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

$18.0K ₱1.1M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-32.69%

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

$124 ₱7,799

$99.4 ฿3,321

24.66%

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

$15.97 ₱1,006

$11.28 ฿377

41.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.80 ₱2,191

$17.36 ฿580

100.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.92 ₱2,262

$52.3 ฿1,747

-31.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 ₱326

$10.85 ฿362

-52.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 ₱313

$7.57 ฿253

-34.48%

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

$144 ₱9,095

$558 ฿18.7K

-74.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,892 ₱433.9K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-40.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.99 ₱2,329

$62.9 ฿2,102

-41.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.93 ₱1,318

$28.58 ฿955

-26.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.6 ₱4,384

$96.1 ฿3,213

-27.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.50 ₱3,116

$88.1 ฿2,943

-43.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 ₱15.3K

$729 ฿24.4K

-66.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₱10.6K

$460 ฿15.4K

-63.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₱29.0K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-77.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ₱22.9K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-70.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,434 ₱153.3K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-29.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,108 ₱69.8K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-55.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.57

21.90%

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

Last update for Surigao: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surigao

$175 23.7%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 26.7% $47

Groceries & Markets

Surigao

$174 23.7%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 53.5% $93

Accommodation & Living

Surigao

$168 22.9%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 173% $292

Clothing & Footwear

Surigao

$80 10.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 55.7% $44

Eating Out

Surigao

$79 10.7%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 53.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Surigao

$46 6.2%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 47% $22

Getting Around

Surigao

$14 1.9%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 175% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $243 in Surigao and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Surigao vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $268 per month, with Surigao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Surigao

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

00:16 12:16 AM

1 h behind Surigao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

171,107

79,308

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surigao Phuket 2,980 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Surigao
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

Surigao vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surigao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,104 in Surigao and $1,811 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: $243 in Surigao versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $144 in Surigao versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $736 in Surigao versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Surigao but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Surigao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surigao 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, Surigao 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 Surigao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.