Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zamboanga and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Zamboanga: $734 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Zamboanga
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Zamboanga Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Zamboanga

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $734 in Zamboanga versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Zamboanga $734
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,106 in Zamboanga versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Zamboanga $1,106
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,478 in Zamboanga versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Zamboanga $1,478
Phuket $3,154

Living in Zamboanga costs roughly 43% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zamboanga 46% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.31 ₱83.6

$4.47 ฿151

-70.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.01 ₱1,023

$32.41 ฿1,094

-50.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.32 ₱212

$8.81 ฿297

-62.32%

Cappuccino

$2.01 ₱128

$2.83 ฿95.5

-28.98%

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

$0.84 ₱53.6

$0.87 ฿29.43

-3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₱25.33

$0.49 ฿16.67

-18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ₱91.6

$2.56 ฿86.4

-44.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₱130

$3.68 ฿124

-44.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ₱114

$1.66 ฿56.0

7.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ₱90.1

$1.46 ฿49.35

-3.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ₱70.2

$1.50 ฿50.6

-26.67%

Eggs

$1.50 ₱95.9

$2.09 ฿70.5

-28.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 ₱651

$19.07 ฿644

-46.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 ₱255

$3.30 ฿111

20.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.28 ₱210

$10.91 ฿368

-69.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₱198

$2.93 ฿99.0

6.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ₱75.4

$1.69 ฿57.1

-30.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 ₱238

$2.25 ฿75.8

65.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱72.5

$2.08 ฿70.1

-45.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 ₱78.2

$1.51 ฿51.0

-19.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 ₱160

$1.38 ฿46.56

81.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 ₱55.2

$1.07 ฿35.99

-19.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.53

$0.52 ฿17.52

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.66 ₱170

$4.20 ฿142

-36.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.06 ₱260

$18.79 ฿634

-78.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₱82.1

$1.82 ฿61.5

-29.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 ₱125

$2.84 ฿95.9

-31.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ₱13.30

$1.45 ฿49.03

-85.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.20 ₱907

$56.7 ฿1,913

-74.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 ₱48.14

$3.02 ฿102

-75.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱14.15

$1.02 ฿34.36

-78.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.62 ₱104

$3.69 ฿125

-56.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 ₱64.1

$1.47 ฿49.81

-31.97%

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

$20.0K ₱1.3M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-25.28%

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

$17.5K ₱1.1M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-34.27%

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

$118 ₱7,556

$96.4 ฿3,254

22.75%

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

$15.99 ₱1,021

$11.26 ฿380

42.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.02 ₱3,004

$16.85 ฿569

179.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.45 ₱2,265

$67.2 ฿2,270

-47.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.16 ₱330

$10.73 ฿362

-51.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.19 ₱331

$7.50 ฿253

-30.80%

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

$129 ₱8,256

$476 ฿16.1K

-72.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,770 ₱496.5K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-31.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.17 ₱2,056

$62.4 ฿2,106

-48.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.70 ₱1,323

$28.41 ฿959

-27.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 ₱4,424

$94.3 ฿3,184

-26.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.4 ₱3,536

$85.8 ฿2,898

-35.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 ₱16.2K

$716 ฿24.2K

-64.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$167 ₱10.7K

$491 ฿16.6K

-66.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$334 ₱21.3K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-82.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 ₱22.3K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-75.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,716 ₱173.6K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-34.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,102 ₱70.4K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-63.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$186 ₱11.9K

$502 ฿17.0K

-62.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

5.57

24.24%

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

Last update for Zamboanga: 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

Zamboanga

$182 24.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 46% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zamboanga

$181 24.7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 31.3% $57

Accommodation & Living

Zamboanga

$167 22.7%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 194% $324

Clothing & Footwear

Zamboanga

$80 10.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 52.6% $42

Eating Out

Zamboanga

$61 8.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 101% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Zamboanga

$46 6.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 79.5% $36

Getting Around

Zamboanga

$17 2.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 318% $54

Cost Breakdown

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

Phuket pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $16 in Zamboanga vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $266 per month, with Zamboanga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Zamboanga

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

05:12 5:12 AM

1 h behind Zamboanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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

Zamboanga Phuket 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Zamboanga
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

Zamboanga vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zamboanga is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Zamboanga. 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 Zamboanga versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $129 in Zamboanga 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 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Zamboanga versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zamboanga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zamboanga 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.

Expats usually find Zamboanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.