Cost of Living Comparison Between Mestre and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mestre and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,977 per month in Mestre vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,037 per month in Mestre vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,097 per month in Mestre vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Mestre costs about 61% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mestre sits 48% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Mestre
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.73 ₮19.41
$4.63 āļŋ151
390.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.1 ₮79.5
$46.84 āļŋ1,523
98.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.21 ₮10.43
$8.84 āļŋ287
38.12%
Cappuccino
$2.11 ₮1.80
$3.00 āļŋ97.4
-29.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 ₮2.65
$0.74 āļŋ24.11
318.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 ₮1.42
$0.37 āļŋ11.88
348.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.95 ₮5.08
$2.44 āļŋ79.3
143.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 ₮3.87
$3.61 āļŋ117
25.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mestre
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 ₮1.35
$2.26 āļŋ73.5
-30.09%
White Bread (500g)
$3.00 ₮2.56
$1.84 āļŋ59.8
63.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.81 ₮2.40
$2.24 āļŋ73.0
25.45%
Eggs
$4.29 ₮3.67
$2.32 āļŋ75.3
84.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.69 ₮14.25
$19.67 āļŋ639
-15.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.70 ₮10.84
$3.65 āļŋ119
247.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.42 ₮12.32
$13.10 āļŋ426
10.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.83 ₮2.41
$3.39 āļŋ110
-16.52%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 ₮1.74
$1.64 āļŋ53.4
23.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.59 ₮2.22
$2.41 āļŋ78.5
7.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 ₮2.30
$2.03 āļŋ66.0
32.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 ₮1.59
$1.56 āļŋ50.6
19.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 ₮1.46
$1.50 āļŋ48.66
14.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.84 ₮1.57
$1.02 āļŋ33.30
80.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.47 ₮0.41
$0.49 āļŋ15.91
-4.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 ₮5.62
$4.45 āļŋ145
47.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.10 ₮6.06
$18.88 āļŋ614
-62.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.52 ₮1.30
$1.78 āļŋ57.7
-14.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 ₮1.77
$2.75 āļŋ89.5
-24.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Mestre
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.78 ₮1.52
$1.40 āļŋ45.54
27.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.10 ₮41.08
$11.48 āļŋ373
318.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.97 ₮5.95
$3.12 āļŋ101
123.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 ₮1.26
$1.00 āļŋ32.48
47.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.63 ₮38.97
$14.09 āļŋ458
223.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.05 ₮1.75
$1.35 āļŋ43.93
51.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.2K ₮26.6K
$27.2K āļŋ883.7K
14.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.1K ₮24.0K
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
-14.70%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mestre
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 ₮191
$125 āļŋ4,063
78.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.49 ₮11.52
$13.57 āļŋ441
-0.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.06 ₮23.11
$18.52 āļŋ602
46.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mestre
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 ₮51.3
$61.5 āļŋ1,999
-2.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.61 ₮17.60
$16.84 āļŋ547
22.39%
Cinema Ticket
$11.46 ₮9.79
$9.19 āļŋ299
24.70%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Mestre
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$570 ₮486
$698 āļŋ22.7K
-18.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,762 ₮4,921
$15.6K āļŋ506.9K
-63.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mestre
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.4 ₮68.6
$57.8 āļŋ1,878
39.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.62 ₮39.82
$35.24 āļŋ1,146
32.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 ₮86.9
$113 āļŋ3,677
-10.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$144 ₮123
$86.4 āļŋ2,808
66.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mestre
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$893 ₮763
$616 āļŋ20.0K
45.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$747 ₮638
$446 āļŋ14.5K
67.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,595 ₮1,362
$2,048 āļŋ66.6K
-22.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,291 ₮1,103
$1,492 āļŋ48.5K
-13.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,034 ₮1,737
$3,779 āļŋ122.8K
-46.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,617 ₮1,381
$2,649 āļŋ86.1K
-38.96%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Mestre
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,038 ₮1,741
$524 āļŋ17.0K
289.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.9
5.33
-8.07%

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

Last update for Mestre: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $893 in Mestre versus $616 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 289% higher in Mestre, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $93.0 in Mestre versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $329 vs $292 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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
Mestre vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Mestre and Phuket compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,977 in Mestre, $1,232 in Phuket – roughly 61% apart. Mestre costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Mestre compared to Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,965 per month in Mestre and $1,847 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Mestre and Phuket?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Mestre or Phuket?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,977 in Mestre and $1,232 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
How do commuting costs compare in Mestre and Phuket?
Public transport costs about 319% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Mestre at $1,977. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mestre it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Mestre and Phuket?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,232 in Phuket to $1,977 in Mestre. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Mestre or Phuket safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Mestre and Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mestre makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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