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: $1,472 in Leon versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,100 in Leon versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,728 in Leon versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Leon is roughly 16% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Leon is 10% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.86 €13.65

$4.70 ฿153

237.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.03 €35.29

$45.37 ฿1,482

-9.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 €7.76

$8.43 ฿275

7.00%

Cappuccino

$1.79 €1.54

$2.93 ฿95.6

-38.91%

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

$2.39 €2.05

$0.69 ฿22.40

246.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.37 ฿11.99

362.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 €2.75

$2.41 ฿78.6

32.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 €3.20

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.97

$2.23 ฿72.9

-49.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.83 ฿59.8

-29.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 €1.22

$2.17 ฿70.8

-34.56%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.80

$2.21 ฿72.3

47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.88 €10.22

$19.74 ฿645

-39.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 €5.73

$3.63 ฿119

83.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 €12.90

$13.53 ฿442

10.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.28 ฿107

-19.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 €2.30

$1.61 ฿52.6

66.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.41 ฿78.6

9.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.08 ฿68.1

20.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.53 ฿49.93

38.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.48 ฿48.36

36.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.99 ฿32.29

12.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.82

$0.51 ฿16.67

86.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 €5.02

$4.41 ฿144

32.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.34 €4.59

$19.38 ฿633

-72.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.78 ฿58.1

-41.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$2.71 ฿88.6

-28.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.37 ฿44.79

-0.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.71 €23.83

$11.39 ฿372

143.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 €4.44

$3.02 ฿98.6

70.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.91

$0.99 ฿32.48

7.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.49 €38.27

$14.10 ฿461

215.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.36 ฿44.51

31.62%

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

$32.0K €27.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

13.34%

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

$31.0K €26.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-5.78%

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

$169 €146

$122 ฿3,975

39.18%

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

$19.59 €16.85

$13.57 ฿443

44.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.93 €26.60

$18.31 ฿598

68.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.28 €26.91

$60.2 ฿1,967

-48.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.54 €5.62

$17.14 ฿560

-61.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.62 €7.41

$8.69 ฿284

-0.81%

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

$211 €182

$693 ฿22.6K

-69.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,870 €5,910

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-56.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 €79.4

$59.5 ฿1,944

54.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.18 €17.36

$34.77 ฿1,136

-41.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 €65.2

$115 ฿3,743

-33.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.4 €60.5

$83.3 ฿2,720

-15.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 €847

$613 ฿20.0K

60.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 €504

$437 ฿14.3K

33.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 €874

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-51.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$810 €697

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-46.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,123 €1,826

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-43.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,638 €1,409

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-37.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,839 €1,582

$508 ฿16.6K

261.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

5.33

-28.14%

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

Last update for Leon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Leon and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Leon pays 262% 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: $41.00 in Leon vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $293 per month, with Leon 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

Leon vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leon and Phuket differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Leon pays 262% more on average, 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: $985 in Leon versus $613 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 $45.00 versus $41.00 in Leon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,472 per month in Leon versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,472 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 16% less than in Leon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.