Cost of Living Comparison Between Melissia and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Melissia and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,592 in Melissia versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,355 in Melissia versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,118 in Melissia versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Melissia is roughly 29% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melissia is 19% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.08 €11.17

$4.63 ฿151

182.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.3 €49.82

$46.84 ฿1,523

24.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 €8.06

$8.84 ฿287

6.67%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.63

$3.00 ฿97.4

41.67%

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

$1.67 €1.43

$0.74 ฿24.11

125.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.37 ฿11.88

51.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €4.80

$2.44 ฿79.3

130.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 €4.82

$3.61 ฿117

56.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.57

$2.26 ฿73.5

-18.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.84 ฿59.8

-17.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 €2.43

$2.24 ฿73.0

27.23%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.38

$2.32 ฿75.3

121.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.82 €11.80

$19.67 ฿639

-29.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 €8.96

$3.65 ฿119

187.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.01 €12.81

$13.10 ฿426

14.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 €1.89

$3.39 ฿110

-34.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.66

$1.64 ฿53.4

18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 €0.92

$2.41 ฿78.5

-55.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.71

$2.03 ฿66.0

-1.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.56 ฿50.6

-9.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.50 ฿48.66

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 €0.85

$1.02 ฿33.30

-2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.89

$0.49 ฿15.91

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.54 €4.73

$4.45 ฿145

24.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 €9.13

$18.88 ฿614

-43.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.74

$1.78 ฿57.7

14.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €1.99

$2.75 ฿89.5

-15.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.40 ฿45.54

13.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 €40.29

$11.48 ฿373

310.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 €4.07

$3.12 ฿101

52.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.46 €11.49

$14.09 ฿458

-4.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.85

$1.35 ฿43.93

60.74%

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

$29.4K €25.1K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

8.26%

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

$29.4K €25.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-10.84%

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

$293 €250

$125 ฿4,063

134.43%

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

$23.36 €19.95

$13.57 ฿441

72.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.52 €26.92

$18.52 ฿602

70.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.28 €41.23

$61.5 ฿1,999

-21.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 €22.76

$16.84 ฿547

58.25%

Cinema Ticket

$10.05 €8.59

$9.19 ฿299

9.36%

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

$513 €438

$698 ฿22.7K

-26.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,621 €4,800

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-63.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €95.1

$57.8 ฿1,878

92.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.70 €33.05

$35.24 ฿1,146

9.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 €85.0

$113 ฿3,677

-12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €106

$86.4 ฿2,808

43.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 €421

$616 ฿20.0K

-19.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 €331

$446 ฿14.5K

-13.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 €663

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-62.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 €519

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-59.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,072 €2,623

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-18.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,517 €2,150

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-4.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,390 €1,187

$524 ฿17.0K

165.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

5.33

-6.38%

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

Last update for Melissia: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $493 in Melissia and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melissia pays 165% 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: $58.0 in Melissia vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $292 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

Melissia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Melissia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Melissia pays 165% 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: $493 in Melissia versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,592 per month in Melissia versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 311% less than in Melissia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,592 in Melissia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Melissia. 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 $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Melissia 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 29% less than in Melissia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.