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: $1,723 in Melun versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,558 in Melun versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,393 in Melun versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Melun is roughly 36% more expensive than 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

$13.42 €11.64

$4.70 ฿154

185.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.0 €47.72

$45.37 ฿1,489

21.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.94 €12.10

$8.43 ฿277

65.36%

Cappuccino

$3.16 €2.75

$2.93 ฿96.1

7.85%

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

$1.78 €1.54

$0.69 ฿22.50

157.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.37 ฿12.04

456.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.61 €6.61

$2.41 ฿79.0

215.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 €5.14

$3.72 ฿122

59.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.33

$2.23 ฿73.3

-31.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.83 ฿60.1

-1.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.61

$2.17 ฿71.1

38.71%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.45

$2.21 ฿72.6

80.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.04 €19.12

$19.74 ฿648

11.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.95 €11.24

$3.63 ฿119

256.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.88 €20.71

$13.53 ฿444

76.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 €3.25

$3.28 ฿108

14.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.93

$1.61 ฿52.9

38.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 €2.15

$2.41 ฿79.0

2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 €2.84

$2.08 ฿68.4

57.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.65

$1.53 ฿50.2

24.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.48 ฿48.58

41.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.39

$0.99 ฿32.44

61.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.59

$0.51 ฿16.74

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.77 €11.94

$4.41 ฿145

212.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.91 €7.73

$19.38 ฿636

-54.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.10

$1.78 ฿58.4

35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 €3.74

$2.71 ฿89.0

59.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.02

$1.37 ฿44.99

70.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.68 €42.24

$11.39 ฿374

327.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.75 €4.12

$3.02 ฿99.1

57.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.57

$0.99 ฿32.63

82.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.93 €27.70

$14.10 ฿463

126.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.36 ฿44.71

48.53%

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

$37.6K €32.6K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

33.19%

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

$37.4K €32.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

13.69%

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

$194 €169

$122 ฿3,993

59.80%

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

$23.33 €20.24

$13.57 ฿445

71.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.41 €24.65

$18.31 ฿601

55.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.33 €31.52

$60.2 ฿1,976

-39.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 €15.83

$17.14 ฿562

6.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.32 €8.96

$8.69 ฿285

18.76%

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

$559 €485

$693 ฿22.8K

-19.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,449 €7,330

$15.7K ฿514.7K

-46.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 €79.1

$59.5 ฿1,953

53.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.06 €31.28

$34.77 ฿1,141

3.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 €75.5

$115 ฿3,760

-24.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €91.1

$83.3 ฿2,733

26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$774 €672

$613 ฿20.1K

26.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$599 €520

$437 ฿14.3K

37.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 €1,040

$2,094 ฿68.7K

-42.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 €804

$1,509 ฿49.5K

-38.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,199 €3,643

$3,749 ฿123.0K

12.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,191 €2,768

$2,616 ฿85.8K

21.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,608 €2,263

$508 ฿16.7K

413.24%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $774 in Melun and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melun pays 413% 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: $55.0 in Melun vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $293 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 36% in total monthly costs ($1,723 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melun pays 413% 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: $774 in Melun versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,723 per month in Melun versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 327% less than in Melun. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,723 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 36% less than in Melun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.