Cost of Living Comparison Between Melun and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Melun and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,729 in Melun versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,612 in Melun versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,494 in Melun versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Melun is roughly 37% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melun is 29% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.35 €11.70

$4.53 ฿153

194.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 €47.25

$46.36 ฿1,565

16.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.85 €12.14

$8.65 ฿292

60.12%

Cappuccino

$3.27 €2.87

$3.09 ฿104

5.83%

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

$1.71 €1.50

$0.68 ฿22.89

151.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.37 ฿12.44

475.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 €6.43

$2.42 ฿81.6

203.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 €5.13

$3.81 ฿129

53.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.18 ฿73.5

-31.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 €1.59

$1.82 ฿61.3

-0.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 €2.56

$2.18 ฿73.5

33.94%

Eggs

$4.08 €3.57

$2.24 ฿75.4

82.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.58 €19.78

$19.93 ฿673

13.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.91 €11.31

$3.64 ฿123

254.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.60 €20.67

$13.56 ฿458

74.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 €3.14

$3.29 ฿111

9.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.91

$1.69 ฿56.9

29.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 €2.17

$2.33 ฿78.8

6.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.88

$2.03 ฿68.4

62.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 €1.67

$1.60 ฿54.0

19.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$1.49 ฿50.5

35.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.39

$1.01 ฿34.17

57.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.61

$0.48 ฿16.09

45.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 €12.11

$4.45 ฿150

210.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 €7.44

$18.63 ฿629

-54.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.02

$1.79 ฿60.3

29.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 €3.76

$2.80 ฿94.4

53.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.10

$1.42 ฿47.90

69.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.66 €42.63

$11.33 ฿382

329.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 €4.17

$3.09 ฿104

54.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.04 ฿35.19

78.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.92 €27.97

$13.63 ฿460

134.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.83

$1.31 ฿44.23

59.54%

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

$37.6K €32.9K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

37.77%

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

$38.1K €33.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

14.58%

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

$197 €173

$123 ฿4,157

60.14%

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

$23.63 €20.70

$13.81 ฿466

71.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 €25.81

$18.52 ฿625

59.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 €31.93

$60.4 ฿2,037

-39.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.37

$16.80 ฿567

11.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.51 €9.21

$8.89 ฿300

18.22%

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

$566 €495

$687 ฿23.2K

-17.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,457 €7,409

$15.6K ฿524.8K

-45.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €77.7

$57.6 ฿1,945

53.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.24 €31.75

$34.66 ฿1,170

4.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 €76.0

$115 ฿3,879

-24.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €89.9

$84.9 ฿2,865

20.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 €671

$618 ฿20.8K

24.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 €516

$443 ฿15.0K

32.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 €1,048

$2,047 ฿69.1K

-41.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 €794

$1,506 ฿50.8K

-39.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,004 €3,508

$3,568 ฿120.4K

12.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,039 €2,663

$2,511 ฿84.7K

21.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,550 €2,234

$503 ฿17.0K

407.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

5.33

-30.77%

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

Last update for Melun: July 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $766 in Melun and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melun pays 407% 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: $54.0 in Melun vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 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

Melun vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melun and Phuket differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,729 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 407% higher in Melun, 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: $766 in Melun versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,729 per month in Melun versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 329% less than in Melun. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,729 in Melun, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Melun. 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, Melun 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 37% less than in Melun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.