Cost of Living Comparison Between Leon and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Leon and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,545 in Leon versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,190 in Leon versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,836 in Leon versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Leon is roughly 23% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Leon is 12% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €14.91

$4.56 ฿151

278.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.69 €37.70

$32.62 ฿1,082

33.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 €8.20

$8.90 ฿295

6.74%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.67

$2.80 ฿93.0

10.36%

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

$2.50 €2.16

$0.88 ฿29.19

184.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.49 ฿16.23

179.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.39 ฿79.2

17.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 €3.07

$3.71 ฿123

-4.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.97

$1.79 ฿59.3

-37.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.44 ฿47.81

0.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.58 ฿52.6

-12.66%

Eggs

$3.54 €3.06

$2.13 ฿70.5

66.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 €8.99

$19.92 ฿661

-47.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.50 €5.61

$3.43 ฿114

89.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.72 €13.56

$11.33 ฿376

38.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$2.95 ฿97.8

-17.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.72 ฿57.1

33.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$2.32 ฿77.1

6.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.08 ฿69.0

21.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.47 ฿48.77

23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.36 ฿45.05

53.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.10 ฿36.45

5.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.57 ฿19.06

38.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 €5.23

$4.27 ฿142

41.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.10 €4.40

$18.42 ฿611

-72.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.87 ฿62.1

-8.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.92 ฿96.9

-32.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.22 ฿73.6

-38.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.34 €29.63

$22.90 ฿759

49.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 €2.06

$3.03 ฿101

-21.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.07 ฿35.63

21.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.68 €32.51

$3.93 ฿130

858.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.49 ฿49.49

18.79%

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

$37.9K €32.7K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

39.72%

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

$32.6K €28.1K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

18.83%

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

$177 €153

$103 ฿3,410

72.22%

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

$17.06 €14.72

$10.99 ฿365

55.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.55 €27.23

$17.51 ฿581

80.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.11 €30.29

$53.5 ฿1,776

-34.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.25 €5.39

$11.20 ฿371

-44.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 €7.95

$7.48 ฿248

23.13%

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

$211 €182

$557 ฿18.5K

-62.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿393.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.8 €85.3

$64.1 ฿2,125

54.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.59 €14.31

$29.07 ฿964

-42.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 €73.0

$96.0 ฿3,183

-11.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 €49.36

$90.3 ฿2,997

-36.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 €768

$730 ฿24.2K

21.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 €521

$500 ฿16.6K

20.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 €842

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-53.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$784 €676

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-35.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,053 €1,772

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-42.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,618 €1,397

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-35.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,827 €1,577

$503 ฿16.7K

262.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

5.57

-35.37%

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

Last update for Leon: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $890 in Leon and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leon pays 263% 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: $44.00 in Leon vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $273, with Leon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Leon vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leon and Phuket differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,545 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 263% higher in Leon, 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: $890 in Leon versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $44.00 in Leon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,545 per month in Leon versus $1,253 in Phuket – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,545 in Leon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Leon. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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.

Safety-wise, Leon 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 23% less than in Leon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.