Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacloban and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacloban: $771 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Tacloban
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Tacloban Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Tacloban

🇵🇭 Philippines

$771

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $771 in Tacloban versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Tacloban $771
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,152 in Tacloban versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Tacloban $1,152
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,532 in Tacloban versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Tacloban $1,532
Phuket $3,154

Living in Tacloban costs roughly 40% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tacloban 43% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.00 ₱255

$4.47 ฿151

-10.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.55 ₱991

$32.41 ฿1,093

-52.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.33 ₱148

$8.81 ฿297

-73.55%

Cappuccino

$2.31 ₱147

$2.83 ฿95.4

-18.37%

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

$0.68 ₱43.45

$0.87 ฿29.41

-21.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₱23.15

$0.49 ฿16.65

-26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 ₱101

$2.56 ฿86.3

-37.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱138

$3.68 ฿124

-41.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ₱122

$1.66 ฿55.9

15.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 ₱70.4

$1.46 ฿49.31

-23.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ₱51.1

$1.50 ฿50.5

-46.67%

Eggs

$1.89 ₱121

$2.09 ฿70.5

-9.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.05 ₱640

$19.07 ฿643

-47.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 ₱262

$3.30 ฿111

24.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.18 ₱457

$10.91 ฿368

-34.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 ₱203

$2.93 ฿98.9

8.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₱68.6

$1.69 ฿57.0

-36.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 ₱145

$2.25 ฿75.8

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 ₱93.0

$2.08 ฿70.0

-29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱146

$1.51 ฿51.0

52.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ₱118

$1.38 ฿46.52

34.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₱69.5

$1.07 ฿35.96

1.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ₱38.15

$0.52 ฿17.51

15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 ₱119

$4.20 ฿142

-55.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 ₱401

$18.79 ฿634

-66.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₱68.2

$1.82 ฿61.5

-41.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₱109

$2.84 ฿95.8

-39.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.79

$1.45 ฿48.98

-86.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.30 ₱784

$56.7 ฿1,912

-78.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₱49.75

$3.02 ฿102

-74.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.03

$1.02 ฿34.33

-78.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱119

$3.69 ฿125

-49.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ₱66.0

$1.47 ฿49.76

-29.25%

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

$21.2K ₱1.4M

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-20.65%

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

$18.8K ₱1.2M

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-29.43%

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

$117 ₱7,465

$96.4 ฿3,251

21.59%

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

$15.64 ₱997

$11.26 ฿380

38.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.34 ₱1,806

$16.85 ฿568

68.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.68 ₱2,018

$67.2 ฿2,268

-52.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.30 ₱338

$10.73 ฿362

-50.61%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 ₱341

$7.50 ฿253

-28.53%

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

$131 ₱8,335

$476 ฿16.1K

-72.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,929 ₱505.2K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-29.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.33 ₱2,060

$62.4 ฿2,104

-48.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 ₱1,229

$28.41 ฿958

-32.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 ₱4,876

$94.3 ฿3,181

-18.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.0 ₱3,567

$85.8 ฿2,895

-34.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 ₱16.2K

$716 ฿24.2K

-64.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ₱12.2K

$491 ฿16.6K

-61.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 ₱31.7K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-74.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₱22.1K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-75.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,586 ₱164.8K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-38.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,114 ₱71.0K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-63.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$340 ₱21.7K

$502 ฿16.9K

-32.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.57

29.26%

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

Last update for Tacloban: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tacloban

$195 25.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 36.2% $71

Accommodation & Living

Tacloban

$191 24.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 157% $299

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tacloban

$161 20.9%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 22.8% $37

Eating Out

Tacloban

$83 10.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 46.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Tacloban

$83 10.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 47.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Tacloban

$42 5.5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 94% $40

Getting Around

Tacloban

$15 1.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 371% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $254 in Tacloban and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 48% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16 in Tacloban vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $266 per month, with Tacloban cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Tacloban

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:18 10:18 PM

21:18 9:18 PM

1 h behind Tacloban

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,089

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 = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 63.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.15 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tacloban Phuket 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tacloban
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

Tacloban vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tacloban is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Tacloban. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $254 in Tacloban versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $131 in Tacloban 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 36% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

Expats usually find Tacloban gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.