Cost of Living Comparison Between Medias and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Medias and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,120 in Medias versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,701 in Medias versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,283 in Medias versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Medias costs roughly 11% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medias 17% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.17 RON 55.1

$4.56 ฿149

166.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 RON 231

$46.63 ฿1,519

9.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 RON 35.50

$8.47 ฿276

-7.32%

Cappuccino

$3.53 RON 15.99

$3.03 ฿98.6

16.50%

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

$1.91 RON 8.66

$0.69 ฿22.45

176.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 RON 9.13

$0.37 ฿11.92

445.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.29 RON 14.88

$2.49 ฿81.0

32.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 RON 15.30

$3.66 ฿119

-7.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 RON 6.32

$2.18 ฿71.0

-35.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 RON 5.90

$1.90 ฿62.0

-31.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 RON 8.08

$2.20 ฿71.6

-18.64%

Eggs

$3.29 RON 14.90

$2.22 ฿72.4

48.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.82 RON 39.89

$19.99 ฿651

-55.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 RON 31.49

$3.66 ฿119

90.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.02 RON 54.4

$13.25 ฿432

-9.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 RON 5.32

$3.23 ฿105

-63.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 RON 7.42

$1.70 ฿55.3

-3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.31

$2.39 ฿78.0

-32.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.49 RON 11.26

$2.08 ฿67.7

19.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 RON 4.65

$1.59 ฿51.8

-35.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 RON 4.88

$1.48 ฿48.31

-27.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 RON 4.30

$1.03 ฿33.54

-7.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 RON 3.73

$0.52 ฿16.83

57.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.72 RON 25.85

$4.25 ฿138

34.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.88 RON 40.17

$18.79 ฿612

-52.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 RON 4.96

$1.76 ฿57.2

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 RON 7.48

$2.76 ฿89.8

-40.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 RON 3.27

$1.36 ฿44.32

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.52 RON 88.3

$11.36 ฿370

71.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 RON 3.45

$3.14 ฿102

-75.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 RON 3.48

$1.04 ฿33.74

-25.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.94 RON 31.39

$13.77 ฿448

-49.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 RON 6.73

$1.34 ฿43.79

11.19%

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

$28.5K RON 129.0K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

3.01%

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

$28.1K RON 126.9K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-17.13%

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

$167 RON 756

$124 ฿4,025

35.15%

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

$8.30 RON 37.54

$13.52 ฿440

-38.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.15 RON 41.39

$18.69 ฿609

-51.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.75 RON 184

$61.8 ฿2,013

-34.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.12 RON 86.5

$17.25 ฿562

10.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 RON 30.89

$9.14 ฿298

-25.27%

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

$453 RON 2,051

$703 ฿22.9K

-35.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,526 RON 29.5K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-58.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 RON 300

$59.5 ฿1,937

11.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.48 RON 192

$35.07 ฿1,142

21.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 RON 439

$115 ฿3,754

-15.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 RON 449

$84.1 ฿2,737

18.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$392 RON 1,774

$619 ฿20.1K

-36.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 RON 1,338

$433 ฿14.1K

-31.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 RON 2,687

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-71.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 RON 1,981

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-71.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,729 RON 7,819

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-52.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,270 RON 5,744

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-51.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.7

5.33

44.47%

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

Last update for Medias: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $392 in Medias and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Medias vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $293, with Medias 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

Medias vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medias is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,679 in Medias and $1,892 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $392 in Medias versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Medias versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,120 in Medias versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medias but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Medias the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medias is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medias 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 Medias gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.