Phuket vs Siargao

Real cost of living, rent, internet, safety and visa terms for both cities, side by side — then open the interactive tool to weight them against your own priorities.

Phuket, Thailand
🇹🇭Thailand

Phuket

92Freedom Score#3Global rank$1,450Per month

Phuket blends world-class beaches, legendary nightlife, and a growing digital nomad scene — all with near-zero tax on foreign income.

Siargao, Philippines
🇵🇭Philippines

Siargao

66Freedom Score#62Global rank$1,000Per month

The Philippines' surf-island paradise — Cloud 9 waves, palm-fringed lagoons, and a tight island-nomad community with an easy 30-day visa.

The short answer

Compare these two in the full toolBoth cities pre-loaded — add your income and priorities to get a personal match score

Cost of living

Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.

ExpensePhuketSiargao
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,450$1,000✓
Rent, 1BR city centre$950$350✓
Meal, mid-range$4✓$7
Coworking deskper month$180✓$190
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper41.140.0✓

Quality of life

Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.

MeasurePhuketSiargao
Safety
70
62
Healthcare
70
38
Walkability
60
45
English spoken
70
80
Food & dining
80
58
Nightlife
100
62
Outdoors
88
38
Nomad community
90
68
Climate quality
85
72
Public transit
80
30

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasurePhuketSiargao
Freedom Score92/100✓66/100
Global rankof 100 cities#3✓#62
Internet300 Mbps✓35 Mbps
Average temperature82°F82°F
Air quality60/100✓30/100
Airport connectivity70/100✓32/100
Nomad visa30–60 days30 days free
Headline tax rateon local income15%20%

Which should you choose?

Choose Phuket if internet is faster at 300 Mbps, it scores higher on safety (70 vs 62), it is more walkable and the climate scores better.

Choose Siargao if runs $450/mo cheaper, rent is $600/mo lower and English is more widely spoken.

What each city is known for

Phuket

  • 0% tax on foreign-sourced income — keep what you earn
  • LTR Visa available for remote workers & investors
  • 300 Mbps fiber widely available across the island
  • World-class beaches and Patong nightlife on your doorstep

Siargao

  • Cloud 9: Philippines' surf capital
  • Palm islands, lagoons, island-hopping
  • Tight nomad and surfer community
  • Laid-back island life

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Phuket or Siargao?
Phuket scores higher on the Freedom Score (92/100 against 66/100), which makes it the stronger all-round base. That is an average, though — if cost, climate or community is what actually decides it for you, the tables above will point the other way as often as not.
Which is cheaper: Phuket or Siargao?
Siargao is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,000 against $1,450, a difference of $450 a month or about $5,400 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $950/mo in Phuket versus $350/mo in Siargao.
Which is safer: Phuket or Siargao?
Phuket scores higher on safety, 70/100 against 62/100. Safety scores blend crime levels, political stability and healthcare access, and they describe a city as a whole — individual neighbourhoods vary far more than the headline number suggests.
How fast is the internet in Phuket and Siargao?
Phuket averages 300 Mbps and Siargao averages 35 Mbps, so Phuket has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Phuket or Siargao?
Phuket sits in Thailand (30–60 days) and Siargao in Philippines (30 days free). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
Open the interactive comparison

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Cost, connectivity and quality-of-life figures come from the YourLifeMatch city dataset. Where a value is not confirmed it reads n.a. rather than an estimate. Figures are for planning, not professional advice.