Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lecce and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,445 in Lecce, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lecce, Italy
Phuket, Thailand
Lecce
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,445
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,445 per month in Lecce vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Lecce $1,445
  • Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,321 per month in Lecce vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Lecce $2,321
  • Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $3,196 per month in Lecce vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Lecce $3,196
  • Phuket $3,154

Lecce costs about 13% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lecce sits 6% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lecce
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.84 €15.13
$4.47 ฿151
276.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1 €61.2
$32.41 ฿1,094
110.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.18 €9.15
$8.81 ฿297
15.55%
Cappuccino
$1.98 €1.78
$2.83 ฿95.5
-30.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 €1.94
$0.87 ฿29.43
148.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.98
$0.49 ฿16.67
122.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.87 €3.47
$2.56 ฿86.4
51.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.41 €3.06
$3.68 ฿124
-7.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lecce
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 €1.29
$1.66 ฿56.0
-13.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.46 ฿49.35
24.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.27 €2.04
$1.50 ฿50.6
51.33%
Eggs
$2.50 €2.25
$2.09 ฿70.5
19.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.38 €11.12
$19.07 ฿644
-35.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.26 €10.12
$3.30 ฿111
241.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.31 €14.65
$10.91 ฿368
49.50%
Apples (1kg)
$2.11 €1.89
$2.93 ฿99.0
-27.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 €1.74
$1.69 ฿57.1
14.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 €1.72
$2.25 ฿75.8
-14.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.50 €3.15
$2.08 ฿70.1
68.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.65 €1.48
$1.51 ฿51.0
9.27%
Onion (1kg)
$1.61 €1.45
$1.38 ฿46.56
16.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 €1.07
$1.07 ฿35.99
11.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.38 €0.34
$0.52 ฿17.52
-26.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.86 €6.16
$4.20 ฿142
63.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.73 €6.05
$18.79 ฿634
-64.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 €1.29
$1.82 ฿61.5
-21.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 €2.21
$2.84 ฿95.9
-13.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Lecce
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.37 €1.23
$1.45 ฿49.03
-5.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$56.7 ฿1,913
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.53 €4.97
$3.02 ฿102
83.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.19 €1.97
$1.02 ฿34.36
114.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.41 €21.04
$3.69 ฿125
534.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 €1.87
$1.47 ฿49.81
42.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K €32.1K
$26.8K ฿904.3K
33.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.6K €32.0K
$26.7K ฿901.3K
33.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lecce
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 €153
$96.4 ฿3,254
76.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.62 €10.44
$11.26 ฿380
3.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.90 €25.07
$16.85 ฿569
65.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lecce
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$80.6 €72.5
$67.2 ฿2,270
19.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$56.3 €50.5
$10.73 ฿362
424.23%
Cinema Ticket
$8.61 €7.73
$7.50 ฿253
14.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lecce
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$567 €509
$476 ฿16.1K
19.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,021 €4,511
$11.3K ฿380.4K
-55.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lecce
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.0 €73.7
$62.4 ฿2,106
31.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.10 €43.22
$28.41 ฿959
69.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.0 €79.1
$94.3 ฿3,184
-6.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.1 €70.1
$85.8 ฿2,898
-9.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lecce
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$603 €542
$716 ฿24.2K
-15.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$470 €422
$491 ฿16.6K
-4.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,205 €1,083
$1,927 ฿65.1K
-37.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$903 €811
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-36.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,050 €2,741
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-26.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,579 €1,419
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-48.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lecce
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,602 €1,439
$502 ฿17.0K
218.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.82
5.57
-13.46%

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

Last update for Lecce: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lecce
$470
Phuket
$491 4.5% $21
Groceries & Markets
Lecce
$284
Phuket
$266 6.4% $18
Eating Out
Lecce
$228
Phuket
$122 46.7% $106
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lecce
$210
Phuket
$124 40.6% $85
Clothing & Footwear
Lecce
$133
Phuket
$122 8.6% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Lecce
$98
Phuket
$82 16% $16
Getting Around
Lecce
$22 *
Phuket
$71 221% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $603 in Lecce versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lecce are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Lecce versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Lecce
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
15:02 3:02 PM
21:02 9:02 PM
6 h ahead of Lecce
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
94,773
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lecce Phuket 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lecce
  • 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
Lecce vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Lecce?
Yes – Lecce is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,168 per month in Lecce and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lecce, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $603 there versus $716 in Phuket.
What are total monthly expenses in Lecce and in Phuket?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,445 in Lecce and $1,278 in Phuket. That’s a gap of about 13%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $567 per month in Lecce and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is it better to live in Lecce or in Phuket?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,445 in Lecce. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Lecce or Phuket?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lecce makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Lecce vs other spots: cost of living compared

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