Cost of Living Comparison Between Leiden and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Leiden and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,965 in Leiden versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,152 in Leiden versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,339 in Leiden versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Leiden is roughly 137% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Leiden is 116% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.62 €17.78

$4.56 ฿152

352.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.4 €80.6

$32.62 ฿1,086

186.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.15

$8.90 ฿296

58.20%

Cappuccino

$4.02 €3.46

$2.80 ฿93.4

43.57%

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

$3.65 €3.15

$0.88 ฿29.31

314.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 €2.64

$0.49 ฿16.29

524.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 €7.07

$2.39 ฿79.5

243.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 €4.41

$3.71 ฿124

38.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.79 ฿59.5

-27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.44 ฿48.00

56.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 €2.90

$1.58 ฿52.8

112.66%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.26

$2.13 ฿70.8

131.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.03 €12.97

$19.92 ฿663

-24.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.97 €12.91

$3.43 ฿114

336.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.40 €14.14

$11.33 ฿377

44.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.50

$2.95 ฿98.2

-1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$1.72 ฿57.3

40.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.32 ฿77.4

-15.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.01 €4.32

$2.08 ฿69.3

140.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.62

$1.47 ฿48.96

27.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.36 ฿45.22

46.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.10 ฿36.59

28.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$0.57 ฿19.13

29.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.73 €11.84

$4.27 ฿142

221.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 €6.27

$18.42 ฿613

-60.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.87 ฿62.3

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 €2.32

$2.92 ฿97.3

-7.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 €2.57

$2.22 ฿73.9

33.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$136 €117

$22.90 ฿762

491.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 €3.02

$3.03 ฿101

15.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.53 €3.05

$1.07 ฿35.77

229.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.01 €19.84

$3.93 ฿131

485.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.49 ฿49.68

65.10%

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

$42.3K €36.5K

$27.1K ฿903.4K

56.03%

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

$41.2K €35.5K

$27.5K ฿914.1K

50.00%

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

$291 €251

$103 ฿3,423

183.07%

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

$16.35 €14.10

$10.99 ฿366

48.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 €45.28

$17.51 ฿583

199.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.97 €39.65

$53.5 ฿1,783

-14.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.94 €10.29

$11.20 ฿373

6.61%

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 €12.80

$7.48 ฿249

98.40%

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

$1,793 €1,546

$557 ฿18.5K

221.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €11.8K

$11.9K ฿394.7K

15.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 €103

$64.1 ฿2,134

86.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.78 €42.08

$29.07 ฿968

67.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 €106

$96.0 ฿3,195

27.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 €123

$90.3 ฿3,008

57.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 €1,556

$730 ฿24.3K

147.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,425 €1,229

$500 ฿16.6K

185.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,552 €2,201

$2,090 ฿69.6K

22.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,030 €1,751

$1,209 ฿40.3K

67.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,790 €6,719

$3,596 ฿119.7K

116.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,904 €5,092

$2,512 ฿83.7K

135.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,282 €3,693

$503 ฿16.8K

750.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

5.57

-49.73%

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

Last update for Leiden: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,805 in Leiden and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leiden pays 751% 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: $93.0 in Leiden vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $273 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Leiden vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 137% lower than in Leiden. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 751% higher in Leiden, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,805 in Leiden versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Leiden. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $93.0 in Leiden. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,965 in Leiden, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Leiden. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,253 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Leiden 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Leiden. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.