Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Milan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Milan versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,008 in Milan versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,391 in Milan versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Milan is roughly 108% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Milan is 90% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.92 €20.62

$4.66 ฿154

413.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.6 €83.3

$32.22 ฿1,065

199.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.23 €12.26

$8.68 ฿287

63.94%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.90

$2.90 ฿95.8

-24.14%

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

$3.93 €3.39

$0.84 ฿27.89

367.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.49 ฿16.16

308.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 €5.92

$2.48 ฿82.0

177.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 €6.17

$3.73 ฿123

91.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.89 ฿62.3

-4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 €2.83

$1.41 ฿46.54

132.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 €3.26

$1.62 ฿53.6

133.33%

Eggs

$5.09 €4.38

$2.24 ฿74.1

127.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.17 €19.98

$19.84 ฿656

16.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.22 €13.12

$3.48 ฿115

337.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.76 €20.48

$11.37 ฿376

108.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 €2.76

$2.90 ฿95.8

10.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.72 ฿57.0

51.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.02

$2.27 ฿75.1

54.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 €3.92

$2.13 ฿70.4

113.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.47 ฿48.72

63.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.42 ฿46.92

43.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.10 ฿36.25

66.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 €0.55

$0.60 ฿19.76

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.71 €6.65

$4.31 ฿142

78.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.48 €8.17

$18.60 ฿615

-49.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.80 ฿59.5

12.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.05

$2.97 ฿98.0

-20.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 €2.26

$2.25 ฿74.2

16.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.60 €39.30

$23.49 ฿776

94.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.16 €7.03

$3.10 ฿102

163.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.08 ฿35.56

109.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.1 €54.4

$3.87 ฿128

1531.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.43 ฿47.16

50.35%

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

$37.2K €32.1K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

34.01%

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

$37.9K €32.6K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

40.30%

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

$261 €225

$105 ฿3,462

149.36%

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

$10.96 €9.44

$11.39 ฿376

-3.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.08 €26.79

$17.54 ฿580

77.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.7 €76.4

$54.3 ฿1,795

63.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.85 €29.18

$11.44 ฿378

195.89%

Cinema Ticket

$12.64 €10.90

$7.78 ฿257

62.47%

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

$890 €767

$576 ฿19.0K

54.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K €17.2K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

71.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €94.4

$63.6 ฿2,103

72.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 €45.25

$29.10 ฿961

80.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €99.8

$96.2 ฿3,179

20.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €145

$90.0 ฿2,974

86.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 €1,510

$733 ฿24.2K

138.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 €1,022

$501 ฿16.5K

136.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,575 €3,082

$2,126 ฿70.2K

68.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 €1,837

$1,252 ฿41.4K

70.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K €9,608

$3,534 ฿116.8K

215.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,132 €4,423

$2,622 ฿86.6K

95.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,231 €1,923

$508 ฿16.8K

339.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.17

5.57

-43.09%

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

Last update for Milan: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,751 in Milan and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milan pays 340% 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: $97.0 in Milan vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $432 vs $275 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

Milan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 340% higher in Milan, 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: $1,751 in Milan versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $890 in Milan versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Milan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,626 in Milan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Milan. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Milan 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 108% less than in Milan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.